Abstract
Killer whales (Orcinus orca) are an apex predator, the largest delphinid odontocete, and have the widest cosmopolitan distribution of all cetacean species. These long-lived animals can be found in life-long matrilineal groups, where fitness-related activities such as cooperative hunting rely on sophisticated group coordination, often mediated by acoustic communication. The effects of anthropogenic noise on the fitness of killer whales is a growing concern, especially for the endangered population of southern resident killer whales. Although modest progress has been made in determining the killer whales’ behavior in response to noise (e.g., Lombard effect), almost nothing is known about how these animals hear in noisy environments. Here, what is known about killer whale hearing is summarized, including behavioral and electrophysiological audiograms, and resulting auditory weighting functions. In addition, new critical ratio data are presented and compared with other odontocete species. These preliminary data are evaluated in a communication space model to predict negative impacts of anthropogenic noise.
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