Mongabay · Climate & nature

Dolphins Amplify Calls to Compete with Ship Noise

Pilot whales, a species of large dolphin, are increasing the volume of their short-distance calls to be heard over ship traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar.

Researchers studied communication in long-finned pilot whales in the Strait of Gibraltar, a busy shipping lane between Morocco and Spain.

They found the whales could increase the volume of their short-distance calls, but long-distance communication was more difficult.

This may lead to whales being unable to communicate with distant pod members, potentially causing them to become lost and isolated.

Approximately 60,000 ships transit the Strait of Gibraltar annually, contributing to the noise pollution.

The study highlights challenges in long-distance vocalization for these marine mammals amidst significant anthropogenic noise.

AI-samenvatting op basis van de bron.