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Seismic Shift in Whale Studies

Overview

Fin whales are the world’s 2nd largest whale species (blue whales are the largest). These majestic creatures inhabit temperate to sub-arctic waters in both the northern and southern hemispheres. Within the Pacific Ocean basin, there are at least 3 geographically distinct populations. In the North Pacific Ocean, fin whales have been observed as far north as the Chukchi Sea during the summer months while in winter, they spend their time off the coasts of Korea and Japan in the West Pacific, and off northern Baja California in the East Pacific.

Listening to Deep Ocean Whales

Overview

Passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals is a growing research theme on both the VENUS and NEPTUNE observatories. UVic Co-op student Jasper Kanes works with the Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre (formerly Centre for Enterprise and Engagement, ONCCEE) to process passive acoustic data from their technology demonstrations. Together with John Dorocicz, Acoustic Systems Developer, the two “listeners” publicize the highlights from these data within relevant research communities. Jasper and John are helping promote Canadian technologies, which is part of ONCCEE’s mandate as a national Center of Excellence for Commercialization and Research (CECR), while informing scientists of relevant data they can freely access from ONC for their research. Recent marine mammal highlights include [sperm whales at Barkley Canyon](https://soundcloud.com/oceannetworkscanada/humpback-songs-with-sperm-whale-clicks) and [fin whales in the Cascadia Basin](https://soundcloud.com/oceannetworkscanada/fin-whale-calls-in-seismic). They were recorded with Ocean Sonics icListen low frequency hydrophones. “We’ve been listening to sperm whales almost every day for the past month, “ notes Jasper. “The clips we’ve posted are just a sampling.” # Deep Divers: the Sperm Whales The sperm whale, so named because of the liquid wax spermaceti in its head, has the largest brain of any known animal. They are the largest of the toothed whales, growing up to 20.5 metres long. Sperm whales live in every ocean, and each sperm whale clan is culturally unique. Highly intelligent and social, these animals are one of several species that some scientists want to legally recognize as non-human persons. This designation would endow them with legal rights and freedoms, including freedom from confinement and the right to live. Research conducted by Dalhousie’s Hal Whitehead has been central to the inclusion of sperm whales in this legal battle. ## Elusive Ocean Giants: the Fin Whales At up to 27 metres long, the fin whale is the second largest animal on Earth. They can live for 100 years or more. Their 20-40 Hz calls are some of the lowest-frequency sounds in the animal kingdom. Fin whale populations were depleted by whaling and they are endangered on the IUCN red list. Their low numbers, high speeds and preference for offshore waters makes them difficult to study, and little is known about their population dynamics, ecology or habitat use. Cascadia Research Collective is conducting a large-scale comparison of photo-identified fin whales from the US and Canada to learn more about these giants, while the University of Washington’s Michelle Weirathmueller is taking advantage of Ocean Networks Canada’s and Cascadia Initiative’s seismometers to localize and track phonating fin whales. ## Improving our Listening Capabilities Low frequency hydrophones are proving to be more sensitive to fin whale calls than seismometers. Ocean Networks Canada may one day further contribute to fin whale research by deploying low frequency hydrophones with Precision Time Protocol (PTP) timing. With PTP capable hydrophone arrays, the VENUS and NEPTUNE observatories could also help researchers tracking marine mammals with higher frequency calls, such as sperm whales.

Whale Bones on the Seafloor

Overview

The new **enrichment/colonization experiment** began in May 2014 at the Barkley Canyon site of the NEPTUNE observatory. Led by Professor Craig Smith of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Professor Lisa Levin, from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and by ONC staff scientist Fabio De Leo, this deep-sea community sucession experiment uses subsea cameras to observe the changes in the seafloor communities (invertebrates and fish) triggered by the implantation of various organic and inorganic substrates such as **whale bones, wood and authigenic carbonate**. Whalebones and driftwood form chemosynthetic substrate habitats on the deep seafloor after being decomposed by specialized bacteria, attracting a distinct benthic fauna that resembles communities living in the extreme environments of hydrothermal vents and cold (methane) seeps. This type of experiment also sheds light into how benthic organisms utilize the sparse food resources available in deep-sea settings. This advanced ocean observatory technology allows researchers to monitor early community colonization and sucessional processes in ways never before possible, at high-frequency and high-resolution. "This is the first time we are able to control our observations in deep water by recording the experiments on a daily basis every two hours and turning on the lights at any time to make further observations." – said Dr. Fabio De Leo, ONC staff scientist. Previously, those types of experiments could only be monitored by sporadic revisits by ROVs or submersibles, or by autonomous free-vehicles, meaning a lot of the patterns of faunal colonization and succession could not be resolved.

Listening station to study impact of ship noise on whales

Overview

NEWS RELEASE **Vancouver, B.C.** The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), with support from the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and JASCO Applied Sciences, has deployed a hydrophone listening station that will monitor underwater vessel noise in the Strait of Georgia. Underwater noise has been identified as a key threat to at-risk whales.

Whalebone Experiment in a Minimum Oxygen Zone

Overview

On 15 May, onboard the E/V Nautilus, the remotely operated (ROV), Hercules, dove to Barkley Canyon’s mid-canyon location, where a seafloor camera monitors benthic communities 24/7. With the successful repair, re-deployment and re-connection of the Barkley Node and extension cables earlier this month, we are now able to continue long-term monitoring of seafloor communities and experiments in Barkley Canyon. At this site enrichment and perturbation experiments that began in 2013, examine these unique biological systems, change under varying oceanographic conditions.

Monitoring Canada’s ocean, coasts, and killer whales through technology and data

Overview

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) technology and data continue to monitor our country’s ocean, extensive coastlines, and endangered killer whale habitat through an underwater listening station, hydrophones, community observatories, and oceanographic radar systems. In early September 2017, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada made two separate announcements on additional [Oceans Protection Plan](https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/oceans-protection-plan.html) measures to [protect our coasts](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/government_of_canadaannouncesadditionalmeasurestoprotectourcoast.html), and the [southern resident killer whales](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/southern_residentkillerwhales.html) in the Salish Sea (Figure 1), and to [study areas of high vessel traffic](https://www.canada.ca/en/fisheries-oceans/news/2017/09/new_science_programtostudyareasofhighvesseltraffic.html).

New science funding to monitor marine environments and southern resident killer whale habitat

Overview

> “Ocean Networks Canada is excited to be working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada to deliver products that align with the Oceans Protection Plan objectives.” Dr. Kate Moran, President and CEO, Ocean Networks Canada.

Researcher in Residence: Craig Smith on whale falls

Overview

Ocean Network Canada's (ONC) new researcher in residence program invites global researchers across basic and applied science to advance interdisciplinary research using our ocean observatory systems and 14 years of archived data. [Craig Smith](https://craigrsmithlab.com/), from the University of Hawaii, is a researcher in residence at ONC until June 2020 where he will focus his research on benthic ecology using whale falls. In May 2014, at Barkley Canyon—a site on ONC’s deep sea observatory—Craig, [Lisa Levin](http://levin.ucsd.edu/) from Scripps, and ONC’s senior staff scientist, Fabio De Leo, began a whalebone colonization experiment that would use cameras to observe the changes in the seafloor communities (invertebrates and fish) triggered by implanting whale bones.

Hushed seas: monitoring underwater noise during COVID-19

Overview

A new study using Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) Pacific Ocean hydrophone data reveals a significant reduction in underwater noise during the COVID-19 shutdown, which may be good news for endangered southern resident killer whales.

Endangered southern resident killer whales return to a quieter Salish Sea

Overview

Every year, Salish Sea residents eagerly await the return of the southern resident killer whales to their Summer feeding grounds. In late June, the orca community’s three extended family groups or pods were spotted off the coast of Vancouver Island. This year a total of 73 orcas—made up of J, K, and L pods—have returned to [a quieter ocean due to the COVID-19 shutdown](https://www.oceannetworks.ca/news-and-stories/stories/hushed-seas-monitoring-underwater-noise-during-covid-19/), and recent sightings suggest that a member of J pod is pregnant. To find out more about these endangered social mammals and their future, we spoke to Ocean Networks Canada’s junior staff Scientist Jasper Kanes, who specializes in passive acoustics research methods to study at-risk cetaceans. **Question (Q):** How many different kinds of killer whales are there in British Columbia? **Answer (A):** British Columbia is home to 3 different ecotypes of orca or killer whales which are culturally, morphologically, and genetically distinct: residents, transients—also known as Bigg’s, and offshores. These ecotypes are also ecologically distinct, meaning they occupy different ecological niches. Resident orcas only eat fish—primarily Chinook salmon; Bigg’s orcas eat marine mammals; and offshore orcas have a broad diet that notably includes sharks.