 |
| A long-finned pilot whale looks back towards the Elsa |
- Social dynamics and spatial cohesion of individuals within groups
- How human-generated sound and disturbance affect behavior
- Individual and group-level differences in foraging strategies
Located where the cold, nutrient-rich Atlantic Ocean meets
the warmer Mediterranean, the Strait of Gibraltar creates an ideal feeding
ground for whales and many other marine animals. The strait is also home to a
year-round, resident population of about one hundred long-finned pilot whales
that are well-known and easily identified. These highly social marine mammals live
in small groups of four to ten individuals, and regularly leave the surface to
find food at depths of up to 1,000 meters (3,000 feet).
To study such deep-diving animals, we will deploy acoustic-
and movement-recording DTAGs
on several individuals in a group at the same time. These non-invasive
suction-cup tags offer a unique view into the lives of marine mammals because
of their ability to record detailed sound and 3D movement data from each tagged
whale for periods of up to 24 hours.
Simultaneously tagging multiple animals within the same
social group provides an unprecedented glimpse into the social lives of these
whales. Tags placed on closely associated animals allow us to identify the
communication signals of individuals and to measure the responses of other
tagged group members. This gives us incredibly detailed information to study
how individuals within a group coordinate activities and maintain social
cohesion across long time periods and deep dives. It will also let us
investigate whether and how individuals engage the rest of the social group
when responding to a potential threat.
No comments:
Post a Comment