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The long-term goals of this research project are to improve our understanding of the acoustic ecology and behavior of minke whales in the Hawaiian and Pacific Islands. Our specific goals are to develop and use passive acoustic methods that will allow us to survey, track movements, and monitor acoustic (and eventually non-acoustic behaviors) of minke whales. This will provide important information about the behavioral activities of minke whales at winter areas where they congregate in their breeding season. An additional goal is the assessment of localization accuracy for animals located from seafloor hydrophone arrays. This information is needed to estimate densities of calling animals from fixed hydrophones (e.g. the related DECAF research project). Ultimately, the information and methods resulting from this project will allow for more effective conservation and management of this and other species that are vocally active but visually elusive. |
