Acoustic work with Ron Schusterman and Dave Kastak.

Abstract

This paper describes auditory-related work done with Ron Schusterman from 1964 through 2002, and with Dave Kastak from 1999 to 2007. Some of Schusterman’s early experiments failed to demonstrate echolocation in pinnipeds, resulting in a conflict with Poulter in 1965 that Ron did not resolve until 2000. He conducted several experiments to investigate what functions other than echolocation sea lion click vocalizations might serve. In 1965 he advised on measuring underwater auditory localization in sea lions, and between 1970 and 1976 he and his colleagues produced aerial and underwater audiograms for two seal species. His many other projects on hearing and vocalization, conducted with his colleagues, may be reviewed by other speakers in this symposium. Schusterman joined the NOAA panel writing noise exposure criteria for marine mammals from 1998 to 2002. In 2002 he asked Dave Kastak to replace him. Kastak then made significant contributions to the criteria from 2002 until his untimely death in 2007, just before the criteria were published. Auditory research lost two giants with their passing.