Detection and localization of blue and fin whales from large-aperture autonomous hydrophone arrays: A case study from the St. Lawrence estuary

Authors

  • Yvan Simard Marine Sciences Institute, University of Québec at Rimouski, P.O. Box 3300, Rimouski, QC G5L-3A1, Canada
  • Nathalie Roy Maurice Lamontagne Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, P.O. Box 1000, Mont-Joli, QC G5H-3Z4, Canada

Keywords:

Architectural acoustics, Associative storage, Data processing, Fins (heat exchange), Pneumatic drives, Pulse amplitude modulation, Ships, Hydrophone arrays, Infrasounds, Large apertures

Abstract

The feasibility of using passive acoustic methods (PAM) to monitor time-space distribution of fin and blue whales in the Saguenay-St. Lawrence Marine Park was explored using large-aperture sparse hydrophone arrays. The arrays were deployed during summers 2003 to 2005 at the head of the 300-m deep Laurentian Channel. They were composed of 5 AURAL autonomous hydrophones moored at mid-water depths, near the summer sound channel. A small coastal array complemented the deployment in 2003. The apertures were from 20 to 40 km and the configurations were changed from year to year. The most frequent calls recorded were blue and fin whale signature infrasounds. Noise from transiting ships on the busy St. Lawrence Seaway often masked the calls on the nearest hydrophones. Sometimes this resulted in an insufficient number of receivers for localizing the whales using time difference of arrival (TDoA) methods. The technical characteristics of the arrays and data processing are presented, with an example of call detection and localization. Despite the difficulties inherent to this environment, PAM can be effectively implemented there, eventually for real-time operations.

Additional Files

Published

2008-03-01

How to Cite

1.
Simard Y, Roy N. Detection and localization of blue and fin whales from large-aperture autonomous hydrophone arrays: A case study from the St. Lawrence estuary. Canadian Acoustics [Internet]. 2008 Mar. 1 [cited 2024 Sep. 13];36(1):104-10. Available from: https://jcaa.caa-aca.ca/index.php/jcaa/article/view/1998

Issue

Vol. 36 No. 1 (2008)

Section

Proceedings of the Acoustics Week in Canada

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