02008nas a2200181 4500008004100000245008500041210006900126490000600195520141700201653002601618653002401644653003201668653002201700653001701722100002301739700002301762856004101785 2022 eng d00aMid-frequency song and low-frequency calls of sei whales in the Falkland Islands0 aMidfrequency song and lowfrequency calls of sei whales in the Fa0 v93 a

Although sei whales (Balaenoptera borealis) are distributed throughout the globe, their behaviour and vocal repertoire are poorly described. We used passive acoustic monitoring to describe the vocal behaviour of sei whales in the Falkland Islands, between December 2018 and April 2019. We isolated more than 2000 low-frequency calls for manual classification, of which 510 calls with high signal-to-noise ratio were quantitatively measured. Five categories of stereotyped call types in the 15–230 Hz range were described, some with multiple subcategories. These included some similar to previously described calls (e.g. downsweeps), but others that were novel in acoustic structure and frequency band. In the mid-frequency range, we documented a highly stereotyped, hierarchically structured and rhythmically repetitive song display. Songs were arranged in phrases with a structure composed of repetitive sub- phrases, and a diverse variety of sounds in the 1–5 kHz range. Singing commenced in late February, despite the presence of whales and calls since early December, and continued through April. These acoustic properties and behavioural characteristics indicate that this is likely a male breeding display similar to songs and singing of other balaenopterids. This is the first detailed description of a song display for sei whales, highlighting the importance of the Falkland Islands.

10aBalaenoptera borealis10alow-frequency calls10apassive acoustic monitoring10asinging behaviour10asong display1 aCerchio, Salvatore1 aWeir, Caroline, R. uhttps://bio.acousti.ca/it/node/5848402484nas a2200253 4500008004100000245015800041210006900199260002000268300001100288490000600299520155400305653001101859653002601870653001901896653002501915653000901940100002301949700002801972700002202000700001702022700002702039700002602066856013802092 2018 eng d00aCulturally transmitted song exchange between humpback whales ( Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southeast Atlantic and southwest Indian Ocean basins0 aCulturally transmitted song exchange between humpback whales iMe cApr-16-20182023 a1723050 v53 a

In migratory marine species, investigating population connectivity and structure can be challenging given barriers to dispersal are less evident and multiple factors may influence individual movement patterns. Male humpback whales sing a song display that can provide insights into contemporary connectivity patterns, as there can be a cultural exchange of a single, population-wide shared song type with neighbouring populations in acoustic contact. Here, we investigated song exchange between populations located on the east and west coasts of Africa using 5 years of concurrent data (2001–2005). Songs were qualitatively and quantitatively transcribed by measuring acoustic features of all song units and then compared using both Dice’s similarity index and the Levenshtein distance similarity index (LSI) to quantitatively calculate song similarity. Song similarity varied among individuals and potentially between populations depending on the year (Dice: 36–100%, LSI: 21–100%), suggesting varying levels of population connectivity and/or interchange among years. The high degree of song sharing indicated in this study further supports genetic studies that demonstrate interchange between these two populations and reinforces the emerging picture of broad-scale connectivity in Southern Hemisphere populations. Further research incorporating additional populations and years would be invaluable for better understanding of fine-scale, song interchange patterns between Southern Hemisphere male humpback whales.

10aAfrica10acultural transmission10ahumpback whale10apopulation structure10asong1 aGarland, Ellen, C.1 aCarvajal, Gabriella, A.1 aKing, Carissa, D.1 aCollins, Tim1 aRazafindrakoto, Yvette1 aRosenbaum, Howard, C. uhttp://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rsos.172305https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1098/rsos.17230502268nas a2200277 4500008004100000245006700041210006600108490000600174520133800180653002701518653002601545653002401571653001501595653000901610100002001619700002301639700002501662700002101687700002601708700002301734700002301757700002601780700002701806700001901833856013801852 2018 eng d00aContext-dependent variability in blue whale acoustic behaviour0 aContextdependent variability in blue whale acoustic behaviour0 v53 a

Acoustic communication is an important aspect of reproductive, foraging and social behaviours for many marine species. Northeast Pacific blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) produce three different call types—A, B and D calls. All may be produced as singular calls, but A and B calls also occur in phrases to form songs. To evaluate the behavioural context of singular call and phrase production in blue whales, the acoustic and dive profile data from tags deployed on individuals off southern California were assessed using generalized estimating equations. Only 22% of all deployments contained sounds attributed to the tagged animal. A larger proportion of tagged animals were female (47%) than male (13%), with 40% of unknown sex. Fifty per cent of tags deployed on males contained sounds attributed to the tagged whale, while only a few (5%) deployed on females did. Most calls were produced at shallow depths (less than 30 m). Repetitive phrasing (singing) and production of singular calls were most common during shallow, non-lunging dives, with the latter also common during surface behaviour. Higher sound production rates occurred during autumn than summer and they varied with time-of-day: singular call rates were higher at dawn and dusk, while phrase production rates were highest at dusk and night.

10aacoustic communication10aBalaenoptera musculus10abehavioural context10ablue whale10asong1 aLewis, Leah, A.1 aCalambokidis, John1 aStimpert, Alison, K.1 aFahlbusch, James1 aFriedlaender, Ari, S.1 aMcKenna, Megan, F.1 aMesnick, Sarah, L.1 aSouthall, Brandon, L.1 aSzesciorka, Angela, R.1 aŠirović, Ana uhttp://rsos.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rsos.180241https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1098/rsos.180241