These dolphins are shouting
Pilot whales now need to shout to be heard over the rumble of ship traffic in the Strait of Gibraltar, the narrow strip of water between Morocco and Spain. Researchers looked at near and long-distance communication between long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas), which are actually a species of large dolphin. They found the mammals were […]
Pilot whales, a type of large dolphin, are struggling to communicate over the growing noise pollution in the Strait of Gibraltar. This shallow waterway, located between Morocco and Spain, is a busy shipping route with roughly 60,000 vessels passing through each year. The researchers, led by M. Hegeman, N. B. W. Macfarlane, P. W. Verborgh, P. Gauffier, R. Esteban, R. de Stephanis, P. L. Tyack, and F. H. Jensen, published their findings in a recent study in the journal J. Exp.
Biol. The whales were found to be able to increase the volume of their calls for short distances, but had difficulty projecting their voices for long-distance communication. This challenge may make it difficult for the dolphins to stay connected to their pod mates when they are far apart, potentially causing them to become lost and isolated from the group.
The study, titled "Vocal compensation to noise in long-finned pilot whales (Globicephala melas)," emphasizes the need for further research into the impact of noise pollution on marine life.
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