Deep-diving cetaceans and the Deepwater Horizon oil spill

Abstract

The Gulf of Mexico is home to at least six species of deep-diving cetaceans, including beaked whales, sperm whales, and dwarf and pygmy sperm whales. These species are all found in the region that was impacted by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Using High-frequency Acoustic Recording Packages (HARPs), we monitored for their presence at three deep-water sites. From over two years of wideband (10 Hz—100 kHz) recordings, the detections of deep-diving cetacean sounds were related to environmental and anthropogenic factors using Generalized Additive Models to identify relevant features. The modeling showed that the significance of habitat parameters varies by species and site, although lunar illumination and sea surface height anomaly were significant for most species at all sites. The relationships between the acoustic presence of the cetaceans and their environment help provide an understanding of the ecology of these species as well as the potential impact of the oil spill on their habitat. This material is based upon work supported by BP and NOAA under Award Number 20105138. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the BP and/or any State or Federal Natural Resource Trustee.