Killer whale acoustic patterns respond to prey abundance and environmental variability around the Prince Edward Islands, Southern Ocean
Sub-Antarctic region
0106 biological sciences
vocalizing behaviour
oceanographic variables
Ecology
Orcinus orca
Science
sub-Antarctic region
Q
Prey
Ecology, Conservation and Global Change Biology
Vocalizing behaviour
Prince Edward Islands (PEIs)
551
01 natural sciences
SDG-14: Life below water
Oceanographic variables
Acoustic occurrence
Killer whale (Orcinus orca)
Behaviour
acoustic occurrence
prey
Ecosystem
DOI:
10.1098/rsos.230903
Publication Date:
2024-01-03T08:05:46Z
AUTHORS (6)
ABSTRACT
Killer whales are apex predators with temporally and spatially varying distributions throughout the world's oceans. Their ecology and behaviour are poorly understood in most regions due to limited research, often because of logistical challenges. Here, we used a passive acoustic monitoring device to investigate the seasonal acoustic occurrence and diel vocalizing behaviour of killer whales around the remote sub-Antarctic Prince Edward Islands (PEIs), Southern Ocean. Killer whales showed diel vocalizing patterns that varied seasonally in relation to their prey abundance and social activities. Killer whale calls were intermittently detected year-round with a high number of hours containing calls in October to December, and a secondary peak in February to May, corresponding to seal prey abundance. Random forest modelling identified wind speed as the primary predictor of the occurrence of killer whale calls (with a negative correlation) while sea surface height, chlorophyll-a and sea surface temperature were moderately important. We provide the first acoustic evidence that killer whale occurrence around the PEIs might coincide with variability in environmental conditions and prey abundance. Our results provide the first indication of diel vocalizing pattern of killer whales in the Southern Ocean. This knowledge is important for understanding killer whale ecology and adaptation to the changing oceans.
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