open access publication

Article, 2021

Are Icelandic harbor seals acoustically cryptic to avoid predation?

JASA Express Letters, ISSN 2691-1191, Volume 1, 3, Page 031201, 10.1121/10.0003782

Contributors

Rößler, Helen 0000-0003-0166-9155 (Corresponding author) [1] Tougaard, Jakob 0000-0002-4422-7800 [2] Sabinsky, Puk Faxe [1] Rasmussen, Marianne Helene 0000-0002-6887-8616 [3] Granquist, Sandra Magdalena 0000-0001-6503-5499 [4] Wahlberg, Magnus 0000-0002-8239-5485 [1]

Affiliations

  1. [1] University of Southern Denmark
    2. [NORA names: SDU University of Southern Denmark; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  2. [2] Aarhus University
    3. [NORA names: AU Aarhus University; University; Denmark; Europe, EU; Nordic; OECD];
  3. [3] University of Iceland
    4. [NORA names: Iceland; Europe, Non-EU; Nordic; OECD];
  4. [4] Marine and Freshwater Research Institute
    5. [NORA names: Iceland; Europe, Non-EU; Nordic; OECD]

Abstract

Male harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) produce stereotypic underwater roars during the mating season. It remains unclear to what extent roar structures vary due to predation levels. Here, seal roars from waters with many (Iceland) and few (Denmark and Sweden) predators were compared. Most Icelandic roars included a long pulse train and a pause. Icelandic roars occurred less frequently, lasted longer (20.3 ± 6.5 s), and were recorded with lower received sound levels (98.3 ± 8.9 dB re 1 μPa root mean square) than roars from Denmark and Sweden. Local extrinsic factors may shape sound production in harbor seals more than previously reported.

Keywords

Denmark, Iceland, Phoca, Phoca vitulina, Sweden, extrinsic factors, factors, levels, local extrinsic factors, long pulse trains, male, mating season, pause, predation levels, predators, production, pulse train, roars, seal, season, sound levels, sound production, structure, training, vitulina, water

Data Provider: Digital Science

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