Newswise — The haunting songs of humpback whales are crucial to the survival of endangered whale populations, but is this ocean music being drowned out by noise pollution? Volunteers are invited to help leading whale acoustics researchers Dr. Eduardo Mercado and Jennifer Schneider, of University at Buffalo, State University of New York, investigate how underwater noises interfere with the function of whale songs.
Mercado, Director of Behavioral Neuroscience and Cognitive Psychology, University at Buffalo, SUNY, has studied how whales produce, receive and use sound, and how their auditory learning differs from other mammals', including humans. Schneider is a graduate researcher in behavioral neuroscience.
"While their size, beauty, and behavior amaze me, what I find most intriguing about humpback whales is how little we know about them," said Mercado, principal investigator of Earthwatch's Singing Whales of Puerto Rico project. "Join us as we eavesdrop on these whales during their short time in the warm waters of Puerto Rico."
Humpback whales, baleen whales that grow to 10 to 16 meters long, once numbered an estimated 125,000 around the world, but whaling efforts during the past two centuries decimated the population. Despite worldwide bans on commercial whaling, humpback populations fall far short of their historic numbers, perhaps as few as 5,000, and are still listed as endangered. Modern threats include illegal hunting, entanglement in fishing nets, pollution, and most insidious of all, noise.
Underwater noise pollution, from boat traffic, sonar, and industrial activities, has increased dramatically in the past 50 years. Earthwatch volunteers working with Mercado and Schneider in Puerto Rico will use state-of-the-art recording equipment and advanced computer algorithms to document how different whale song elements may be vulnerable to this ocean noise.
The Earthwatch projects, to be conducted in February and March of 2006, will be located in Rincon, a scenic coastal area of Puerto Rico known for its sandy beaches and excellent surfing. Volunteers will alternate between servicing experimental hydrophone arrays from a small boat and monitoring the behavior and location of humpbacks from the vantage point of a historic lighthouse. Back at the lab, volunteers will help upload digital audio files and analyze data.
Earthwatch Institute is a global volunteer organization that supports scientific field research by offering members of the public unique opportunities to work alongside leading field scientists and researchers. Earthwatch's mission is to engage people worldwide in scientific field research and education and promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment. The unique nonprofit celebrates its 35th Anniversary this year by expanding opportunities for families, teens, and educators. The Mercado project is one of 35 new projects announced for 2006.
For more information explore http://www.earthwatch.org, or call 800-776-0188.
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