Marine mammal vocalizations: Spectrum analysis.

Abstract

Marine mammals communicate underwater using sounds at different frequencies. Some whales speak using low frequency moans, and others communicate using high frequency whistles and clicks. Some sing notes that sweep over different frequencies. Come hear some of the amazing sounds that whales, seals, and walrus make! Look at spectrum plots to see which frequencies make up the sounds. See if you can match pictures of spectrogram plots with the sounds you hear. Also explore the sounds made by common man‐made noise sources in the ocean such as ships, sonars, and geophysical survey equipment. In this demonstration, you will learn how to distinguish low frequency and high frequency sounds, both by ear and by eye, through a computer based matching game. You will click on an image of a marine mammal, or a man‐made noise source, to hear an audio clip of the sound that each makes. After hearing the sound, try to guess which of the presented spectrum plots matches the sound you heard.