Humans don't limit their noise to land. The drone of vessel engines reverberates through the underwater environment. Do humpback whales and harbor seals—animals that rely on vocalized communication to survive--respond to human-made sounds? Have they adapted to the anthropogenic noise in their habitat? What do they do to survive in these noisy places? These questions are at the center of two research projects happening in Glacier Bay.
The hydrophones deployed around Strawberry Island will help researchers Michelle Fournet (humpback whales) and Leanna Matthews (harbor seals) gain a better understanding of whale and seal vocal behavior and how these animals respond to vessel noise. Check out Michelle's research brief (pdf) and Leanna's research brief (pdf) to learn more.