Acoustic surveys in the Alboran Sea to map the presence and distribution of Cuvier’s beaked whales.

Abstract

In 2008 and 2009, visual and acoustic surveys were organized by NURC and other institutions to estimate the diversity, abundance, and distribution of marine mammals in the Alboran Sea (Western Mediterranean Sea). The mapping of the presence of Cuvier’s beaked whales (Ziphius cavirostris) with wideband towed arrays of hydrophones was particularly successful and further demonstrated the efficacy of passive acoustic surveys conducted with a quiet dedicated platform, the NRV Alliance, equipped with high‐quality detection and monitoring instruments connected to a real‐time GIS system. Techniques and constraints for the detection and classification of echolocation clicks from beaked whales are discussed. [Research Cruises SIRENA08 and MED09. Work supported by ONR Award No. N00014‐09‐1‐0804.]