Scientists have successfully recorded the sounds of rare southern fin whales during an expedition of the National Antarctic Science Center. This significant achievement was made possible thanks to the joint work of Ukrainian biologists and researchers. They shared the news on social networks.
Southern fins are known not only for their rarity, but also for the fact that their behavior is very little studied. Meetings with them near the Akademik Vernadskyi station became a special event.
Biologists used the Ukrainian research vessel "Noosphere" to conduct comprehensive scientific research. They observed visually, used "acoustic trawling" and searched for animals from a motor boat. Already on the first day of operation of the expedition ship, scientists met a group of 5 southern swimmers, took photos and recorded their sounds.
A special acoustic system was used for successful recordings of whale sounds. It consisted of an acoustic recorder, a cable 180 meters long, a wing and a shank, which ensured high-quality recordings even while the ship was moving.
Biologists received more than fourteen hours of acoustic recordings, where, in addition to swimmers, the sounds of killer whales and humpback whales were recorded. However, they still need to conduct a detailed analysis to detect the sounds of other marine mammals.
These studies became an important contribution to the understanding of marine mammals and their ways of communication. Passive acoustic monitoring is particularly valuable because it allows studying the seasonality of animals in places where constant human observation is impossible.
These studies are an important step in the direction of expanding our understanding of the underwater world and contribute to the development of the acoustic "vocabulary" of marine mammals.
