Presentation Title
Acoustic repertoire and vocal activity of Antillean and Amazonian manatees
Abstract
Manatees, like other marine mammals, rely on sound to communicate with each other. Their acoustic habitat, however, is impacted by boat traffic and its associated noise. Boats are also a major cause of manatee mortality, resulting in orphaned calves that may later lack the social skills to survive. Here I study the acoustic behavior of wild and captive Antillean manatees from Belize and captive Amazonian manatees from Brazil. Because manatees do not surface like dolphins do, boat surveys can result in undercounting and disturb their behavior, making it difficult for researchers to detect and observe their activities. To study their natural acoustic behavior, I used data from autonomous underwater recorders deployed during a 24-hour cycle in Belize. Additionally, I used recordings of orphaned calves in captive settings in Belize and Brazil to describe their vocal repertoire. Preliminary results indicate the Antillean manatee emits a variety of sounds, and their acoustic characteristics suggest masking by low frequency noise. We also provide a description of calves' signal emission and structure for both species. Given their conservation status and habitat overlap with human activities, understanding how they may cope with increasing changes in their acoustic space can lead to more effective management strategies.
Primary Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Laura May-Collado
Faculty/Staff Collaborators
Eric Angel Ramos
Status
Undergraduate
Student College
College of Arts and Sciences
Program/Major
Zoology
Primary Research Category
Biological Sciences
Acoustic repertoire and vocal activity of Antillean and Amazonian manatees
Manatees, like other marine mammals, rely on sound to communicate with each other. Their acoustic habitat, however, is impacted by boat traffic and its associated noise. Boats are also a major cause of manatee mortality, resulting in orphaned calves that may later lack the social skills to survive. Here I study the acoustic behavior of wild and captive Antillean manatees from Belize and captive Amazonian manatees from Brazil. Because manatees do not surface like dolphins do, boat surveys can result in undercounting and disturb their behavior, making it difficult for researchers to detect and observe their activities. To study their natural acoustic behavior, I used data from autonomous underwater recorders deployed during a 24-hour cycle in Belize. Additionally, I used recordings of orphaned calves in captive settings in Belize and Brazil to describe their vocal repertoire. Preliminary results indicate the Antillean manatee emits a variety of sounds, and their acoustic characteristics suggest masking by low frequency noise. We also provide a description of calves' signal emission and structure for both species. Given their conservation status and habitat overlap with human activities, understanding how they may cope with increasing changes in their acoustic space can lead to more effective management strategies.