Blue whale vocalizations off the Scotian Shelf: analysis and management implications

Abstract

The blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) is found in every ocean and is the largest animal to have ever lived on earth. The Atlantic population of blue whales is listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act, which requires the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) to outline measures to help the species recover. DFO is investigating how and when blue whales use the Scotian Shelf, and is identifying research and data gaps in order to determine whether or not the area could be important habitat for blue whales. My work focused on passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) data, specifically data collected at three points along the Scotian Shelf over a period of two years. The overall goal of the project is to better understand how and when blue whales use the area, and identify research and data gaps for future study, so that eventually DFO may have enough information to identify and designate critical habitat for blue whales. My objectives were to look for interannual, seasonal, diel, and spatial trends in blue whale vocalizations, and in general, to consider the effectiveness of PAM as a means of identifying important blue whale habitat.