Abstract
Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) show high sexual dimorphism and sexually regulated group structures. In the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGoM), seasonal population demographics and the group structures have not been closely analyzed. Previous studies suggest that NGoM sperm whale population is dominated by females and juveniles, However, mature males have been known to have a presence as well. Utilizing Environmental Acoustic Recording System buoys, continuous acoustic recordings were acquired from June 2018 through June 2020. The buoys were deployed off the coast of Louisiana and the data were analyzed using a sperm whale click detector algorithm developed by our research team (Tiemann et al., 2011) as well as CABLE (Cachalot Automatic Body Length Estimator) software (Beslin et al., JASA 2018) for detecting sperm whale presence and estimating body lengths. Preliminary results showed that sperm whales are present all year with higher acoustic activity during the winter. The data also indicate a higher female and juvenile presence. Future investigations focus on understanding monthly and daily behavior of the NGoM sperm whale groups. The results will contribute to estimating NGoM sperm whale time budget. [This research was made possible in part by grants from The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and BOEM.]
Published Version
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