Vocalisation rates of the North Atlantic right whale ( Eubalaena glacialis)

Vocalisation rates were measured from North Atlantic right whales ( Eubalaena glacialis) in spring 1999-2000 in the Great South Channel and off Cape Cod, USA, and in summer 1999-2000 in the Bay of Fundy, Canada. Vocalisations were classed as either ‘moans’, ‘low-frequency (LF) calls’ or ‘gunshots’. Towed hydrophone recordings (36.1 hours) were made in 21 encounters where loose aggre gations of right whales were within about 1,000m. Recordings were also made using acoustic tags attached by suction cups to ten differe nt whales (29.5 hours). Tags also recorded depth data. Moan rates (sounds per aggregation per hour) were correlated with size of whale ag gregation. Individual whales produced moans at ~ 0-10 per hour (recorded from tags and the towed hydrophone). Small aggregations (2-10) gav e higher moan rates (usually 10) higher still ( ~ 70-700 per hr) (recorded from towed hydrop hone). Results from the Bay of Fundy indicate high moan rates at night. Moans were usually produced in clusters. Tag data showed that moans were usually produced when whales were within about 10m of the surface. A passive acoustic system could potentially provide supplementary information on the distribution of aggregations of right whales. This could be useful for management (1) in the l ong term, by aiding the prediction of right whale distribution, or (2) as a real-time tool for helping to route shipping away from concen trations of right whales. The empirical evidence presented here on vocalisation rates will assist in assessing feasibility. The clustering of moa ns and the tendency to produce them near the surface could hamper detection and localisation efforts. Further research is underway to inve stigate other important practical issues such as detectability and source levels.