The central role of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in marine mammal bioacoustics

Abstract

WHOI researchers pioneered marine mammal bioacoustics. Schevill and Lawrence in 1949 made the first recordings of marine mammals, beluga whales, and in 1956 first demonstrated cetacean echolocation. Schevill later concentrated on the taxonomy and behavior of cetaceans while Watkins developed the first portable high-frequency recorder and passive and active acoustic tracking systems. Ray, Watkins, and Schevill in 1969 presented the first evidence of song in a marine mammal, the bearded seal, linked to the behavior of males in the breeding season. Watkins’ papers on vocalizations informed a generation of bioacousticians on how to interpret sonograms. He was one of the first to use the Navy’s SOSUS hydrophone array to track cetacean movements. Schevill and Watkins also inspired the research of others, both in recoding marine mammal sounds and in interpreting sound in behavior. Tyack led the development of the D-Tag, which simultaneously records vocalizations and movements of cetaceans. Ketten used CAT scans to develop hearing models for cetaceans. Sayigh advanced knowledge of delphnid signature whistles and Fristrup further developed the concept of soundscapes. Watkins and Schevill’s database of more than 20,000 vocalizations from 70 marine mammal species now resides at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, freely available to the public.WHOI researchers pioneered marine mammal bioacoustics. Schevill and Lawrence in 1949 made the first recordings of marine mammals, beluga whales, and in 1956 first demonstrated cetacean echolocation. Schevill later concentrated on the taxonomy and behavior of cetaceans while Watkins developed the first portable high-frequency recorder and passive and active acoustic tracking systems. Ray, Watkins, and Schevill in 1969 presented the first evidence of song in a marine mammal, the bearded seal, linked to the behavior of males in the breeding season. Watkins’ papers on vocalizations informed a generation of bioacousticians on how to interpret sonograms. He was one of the first to use the Navy’s SOSUS hydrophone array to track cetacean movements. Schevill and Watkins also inspired the research of others, both in recoding marine mammal sounds and in interpreting sound in behavior. Tyack led the development of the D-Tag, which simultaneously records vocalizations and movements of cetaceans. Ketten used CAT scans ...