Characterization of Food Calls in Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Poster Number
14A
Format
Poster Presentation (Research Day, April 30)
Faculty Mentor Name
Stacie Hooper
Faculty Mentor Department
Biological Sciences
Abstract/Artist Statement
Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, typically use acoustic communication while trying to acquire food or engaging in social interactions. Food calls are powerful vocalizations used by humpback whales as part of a cooperative prey capture effort called bubble-net feeding. Bubble-net feeding happens as humpback whales work together to produce air bubbles in the water, which trap fish, and make it easier for humpbacks to consume them. It is thought that food calls may stun or confuse the fish, making them easier to trap in the bubble net. Although not much is understood about humpback whale communication, there are some key characteristics which can allow us to distinguish a food call from a social call. Food calls typically have a mean duration of 2.6 seconds, a fundamental frequency of 500 Hz, and usually a short frequency modulated portion at the start and end of the call (Cerchio and Dahlheim, 2001). While food calls are generally produced in stereotypical fashion, we noticed that the structure of individual calls in a series can differ. The goal of this project was to investigate whether food call structure changed over the course of a series, and if so, whether it was possible to classify those variations into distinct subtypes. Differences in food calls within a series may indicate changes in motivation, be a response to changes in prey behavior, or may be the result of different callers producing slight variations.
Location
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Start Date
30-4-2022 1:00 PM
End Date
30-4-2022 3:00 PM
Characterization of Food Calls in Humpback Whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)
Information Commons, William Knox Holt Memorial Library and Learning Center
Humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, typically use acoustic communication while trying to acquire food or engaging in social interactions. Food calls are powerful vocalizations used by humpback whales as part of a cooperative prey capture effort called bubble-net feeding. Bubble-net feeding happens as humpback whales work together to produce air bubbles in the water, which trap fish, and make it easier for humpbacks to consume them. It is thought that food calls may stun or confuse the fish, making them easier to trap in the bubble net. Although not much is understood about humpback whale communication, there are some key characteristics which can allow us to distinguish a food call from a social call. Food calls typically have a mean duration of 2.6 seconds, a fundamental frequency of 500 Hz, and usually a short frequency modulated portion at the start and end of the call (Cerchio and Dahlheim, 2001). While food calls are generally produced in stereotypical fashion, we noticed that the structure of individual calls in a series can differ. The goal of this project was to investigate whether food call structure changed over the course of a series, and if so, whether it was possible to classify those variations into distinct subtypes. Differences in food calls within a series may indicate changes in motivation, be a response to changes in prey behavior, or may be the result of different callers producing slight variations.