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From Shrimp to Whales: Biological Applications of Passive Acoustic Monitoring on a Remote Pacific Coral Reef

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Listening in the Ocean

Part of the book series: Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing ((MASP))

Abstract

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can be an effective tool for studying marine fauna in coral reefs and other ecosystems. We analyzed PAM data from 2006 to 2009 at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. We measured received sound pressure levels (SPL) over time within different frequency bands from 0 to 20 kHz, and used automated and manual techniques to detect parrotfish scrapes and cetacean vocalizations. SPLs were greatest overall in the snapping-shrimp-dominated bands above 2.5 kHz, and they increased at night and decreased during cold months. In frequency bands <1.5 kHz, containing mainly fish sounds (and seasonal whale song), SPL peaked at dawn and dusk. Humpback whale song was detected in December through April; occurrence was greater during 2008–2009 than 2006–2007, possibly reflecting an increase in whale density near FFS. Parrotfish bite sounds were detected year-round, and parrotfish foraged most actively during the afternoon. Dolphins were detected on 12–64 % of days per month, with low levels of activity during the day that increased in late afternoon and were highest at night. More frequent detections of dolphins in February/March 2007, October 2008, and February/March 2009 may correspond to pulses of food availability via the mesopelagic prey community. Minke whale “boing” sounds were detected from late October, with one or two peaks in the December–March period; during March 2009 minke whale calls were present nearly every day. The results provide the first long-term record of minke whales in the NWHI, and show the potential of PAM on remote coral reefs to monitor patterns over time of many trophic levels, from herbivores to apex predators.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to give special thanks to the following people for their support and logistical assistance with the work presented here: Pollyanna Fisher-Pool, Carl Meyer, Whitlow Au, Kevin Wong, Rusty Brainard, Rob Toonen, and Jo-Ann Leong. This work was supported by the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Partnership Program and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. We would like to also acknowledge the contributions made by Ken Sexton, Bob Herlien, the staff of the Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Division, and the crews of the NOAA ships Oscar Elton Sette and Hi’ialakai.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, HI, 96744, USA

    Marc O. Lammers

  2. Oceanwide Science Institute, Makawao, HI, 96768, USA

    Marc O. Lammers

  3. Oceanwide Science Institute, Honolulu, HI, 96839, USA

    Lisa M. Munger

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  1. Marc O. Lammers
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Correspondence to Marc O. Lammers .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA

    Whitlow W. L. Au

  2. Hawaii Inst of Marine Biology, Kaneohe, Hawaii, USA

    Marc O. Lammers

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Lammers, M.O., Munger, L.M. (2016). From Shrimp to Whales: Biological Applications of Passive Acoustic Monitoring on a Remote Pacific Coral Reef. In: Au, W., Lammers, M. (eds) Listening in the Ocean. Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-3176-7_4

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