01979nas a2200205 4500008004100000245015500041210006900196520123200265653002701497653001801524653001901542653001001561653001801571100002501589700002901614700002401643700001901667700002101686856006601707 2020 eng d00aAcoustically advertising male harbour seals in southeast Alaska do not make biologically relevant acoustic adjustments in the presence of vessel noise0 aAcoustically advertising male harbour seals in southeast Alaska 3 a

Aquatically breeding harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) males use underwater vocalizations during the breeding season to establish underwater territories, defend territories against intruder males, and possibly to attract females. Vessel noise overlaps in frequency with these vocalizations and could negatively impact breeding success by limiting communication space. In this study, we investigated whether harbour seals employed anti-masking strategies to maintain communication in the presence of vessel noise in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. Harbour seals in this location did not sufficiently adjust source levels or acoustic parameters of vocalizations to compensate for acoustic masking. Instead, for every 1 dB increase in ambient noise, signal excess decreased by 0.84 dB, indicating a reduction in communication space when vessels passed. We suggest that harbour seals may already be acoustically advertising at or near a biologically maximal sound level and therefore lack the ability to increase call amplitude to adjust to changes in their acoustic environment. This may have significant implications for this aquatically breeding pinniped, particularly for populations in high noise regions.

10aacoustic communication10aharbour seals10amarine mammals10aNoise10avocalizations1 aMatthews, Leanna, P.1 aFournet, Michelle, E. H.1 aGabriele, Christine1 aKlinck, Holger1 aParks, Susan, E. uhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.079501990nas a2200193 4500008004100000245011100041210006900152520132100221653002101542653001701563653001801580653002301598653001601621100002101637700002101658700002601679700002501705856006601730 2019 eng d00aAcoustic crypsis in communication by North Atlantic right whale mother–calf pairs on the calving grounds0 aAcoustic crypsis in communication by North Atlantic right whale 3 a

Mammals with dependent young often rely on cryptic behaviour to avoid detection by potential predators. In the mysticetes, large baleen whales, young calves are known to be vulnerable to direct predation from both shark and orca predators; therefore, it is possible that mother–calf pairs may show cryptic behaviours to avoid the attention of predators. Baleen whales primarily communicate through low-frequency acoustic signals, which can travel over long ranges. In this study, we explore the potential for acoustic crypsis, a form of cryptic behaviour to avoid predator detection, in North Atlantic right whale mother–calf pairs. We predicted that mother– calf pairs would either show reduced calling rates, reduced call amplitude or a combination of these behavioural modifications when compared with other demographic groups in the same habitat. Our results show that right whale mother–calf pairs have a strong shift in repertoire usage, significantly reducing the number of higher amplitude, long-distance communication signals they produced when compared with juvenile and pregnant whales in the same habitat. These observations show that right whale mother–calf pairs rely upon acoustic crypsis, potentially to minimize the risk of acoustic eavesdropping by predators.

10aacoustic crypsis10abaleen whale10aeavesdropping10apredator avoidance10aright whale1 aParks, Susan, E.1 aCusano, Dana, A.1 aVan Parijs, Sofie, M.1 aNowacek, Douglas, P. uhttps://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2019.048502277nas a2200229 4500008004100000022001400041245006200055210006200117260002000179300001300199490000800212520149300220100002801713700002101741700002001762700002301782700002401805700003001829700002301859700002101882856014401903 2018 eng d a0962-845200aFrogs adapt to physiologically costly anthropogenic noise0 aFrogs adapt to physiologically costly anthropogenic noise cSep-15-20182197 a201821940 v2853 a

Human activities impose novel pressures on amphibians, which are experiencing unprecedented global declines, yet population-level responses are poorly understood. A growing body of literature has revealed that noise is an anthropogenic stressor that impacts ecological processes spanning sub-cellular to ecosystem levels. These consequences can impose novel selective pressures on populations, yet whether populations can adapt to noise is unknown. We tested for adaptation to traffic noise, a widespread sensory “pollutant”. We collected eggs of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) from populations from different traffic noise regimes, reared hatchlings under the same conditions, and tested frogs for differences in sublethal fitness-relevant effects of noise. We show that prolonged noise impaired production of antimicrobial peptides associated with defence against disease. Additionally, noise and origin site interacted to impact immune and stress responses. Noise exposure altered leukocyte production and increased baseline levels of the stress-relevant glucocorticoid, corticosterone, in frogs from quiet sites, but noise-legacy populations were unaffected. These results suggest noise-legacy populations have adapted to avoid fitness-relevant physiological costs of traffic noise. These findings advance our understanding of the consequences of novel soundscapes, and reveal a pathway by which anthropogenic disturbance can enable adaptation to novel environments.

1 aTennessen, Jennifer, B.1 aParks, Susan, E.1 aSwierk, Lindsey1 aReinert, Laura, K.1 aHolden, Whitney, M.1 aRollins-Smith, Louise, A.1 aWalsh, Koranda, A.1 aLangkilde, Tracy uhttp://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rspb.2018.2194https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1098/rspb.2018.219400584nas a2200145 4500008004100000245014600041210006900187260001600256100002800272700002100300700002200321700002500343700002700368856004300395 2017 eng d00aUpcall production by southern right whale ( Eubalaena australis) mother-calf pairs may be independent of diel period in a nursery area0 aUpcall production by southern right whale iEubalaena australisi  cJan-02-20171 aDombroski, Julia, R. G.1 aParks, Susan, E.1 aGroch, Karina, R.1 aFlores, Paulo, A. C.1 aSousa-lima, Renata, S. uhttp://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/mms.12382