
Other News In this section we’ll keep you informed about issues related with cetaceans which actually take place worldwide. The information provided in these notes does not necessary express Fundación Cethus opinion. The intriguing song of the Blue whale The song of the Blue whale, the largest species of animals inhabiting our planet, has been changing over recent decades. A research carried out by Whale Acoustics Company along with Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s researchers, published in October in Endangered Species Research, reveals that the songs’ tonal frequency of this species is falling every year by a few fractions of 1 hertz. The best-studied blue whale population is the one of the U.S. west coast and its song pitch has dropped by 31& since late 1960s. This behavior intrigues researchers. Even more surprising is that, although different populations of blue whales inhabiting different oceans produce different songs, all of them are showing this common shift in their frequency. There are several hypotheses about possible causes of this change among which there are the ocean noise pollution due to increased shipping traffic, changes in sound transmission due to increased ocean temperatures, changes in the dynamics of whale populations which are in a recovery process, and new mating strategies. So far the real reason for blue whales around the world singing in ever-deeper voices remains a mystery. Source: Blue Whale Song Mystery Baffles Scientists “Worldwide decline in tonal frequencies of blue whale songs.” By Mark A. McDonald, John A. Hildebrand, Sarah Mesnick. Endangered Species Research Vol. 9 No. 1, published online Oct. 23, 2009. Back to Bulletin: Year XI - N°3 - December 2009 Copyright ©2009 - Fundación Cethus -All Rights Reserved

Other News

In this section we’ll keep you informed about issues related with cetaceans which actually take place worldwide. The information provided in these notes does not necessary express Fundación Cethus opinion.

The intriguing song of the Blue whale

The song of the Blue whale, the largest species of animals inhabiting our planet, has been changing over recent decades.

A research carried out by Whale Acoustics Company along with Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s researchers, published in October in Endangered Species Research, reveals that the songs’ tonal frequency of this species is falling every year by a few fractions of 1 hertz. The best-studied blue whale population is the one of the U.S. west coast and its song pitch has dropped by 31& since late 1960s.

This behavior intrigues researchers. Even more surprising is that, although different populations of blue whales inhabiting different oceans produce different songs, all of them are showing this common shift in their frequency.

There are several hypotheses about possible causes of this change among which there are the ocean noise pollution due to increased shipping traffic, changes in sound transmission due to increased ocean temperatures, changes in the dynamics of whale populations which are in a recovery process, and new mating strategies.

So far the real reason for blue whales around the world singing in ever-deeper voices remains a mystery.

Source:
Blue Whale Song Mystery Baffles Scientists

“Worldwide decline in tonal frequencies of blue whale songs.” By Mark A. McDonald, John A. Hildebrand, Sarah Mesnick. Endangered Species Research Vol. 9 No. 1, published online Oct. 23, 2009.

Back to Bulletin: Year XI - N°3 - December 2009