Auditory and behavioral responses of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas) to impulsive sounds resembling distant signatures of underwater explosions

A behavioral response paradigm was used to measure masked underwater hearing thresholds in two bottlenose dolphins and one beluga whale before and after exposure to impulsive underwater sounds with waveforms resembling distant signatures of underwater explosions. An array of piezoelectric transducer...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America 2000-07, Vol.108 (1), p.417-431
Main Authors: Finneran, J J, Schlundt, C E, Carder, D A, Clark, J A, Young, J A, Gaspin, J B, Ridgway, S H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Auditory Perception - physiology
Behavior, Animal - physiology
Delphinapterus leucas
Dolphins - physiology
Marine
Sound
Tursiops truncatus
Vocalization, Animal - physiology
Water
Whales - physiology
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Summary:A behavioral response paradigm was used to measure masked underwater hearing thresholds in two bottlenose dolphins and one beluga whale before and after exposure to impulsive underwater sounds with waveforms resembling distant signatures of underwater explosions. An array of piezoelectric transducers was used to generate impulsive sounds with waveforms approximating those predicted from 5 or 500 kg HBX-1 charges at ranges from 1.5 to 55.6 km. At the conclusion of the study, no temporary shifts in masked-hearing thresholds (MTTSs), defined as a 6-dB or larger increase in threshold over pre-exposure levels, had been observed at the highest impulse level generated (500 kg at 1.7 km, peak pressure 70 kPa); however, disruptions of the animals' trained behaviors began to occur at exposures corresponding to 5 kg at 9.3 km and 5 kg at 1.5 km for the dolphins and 500 kg at 1.9 km for the beluga whale. These data are the first direct information regarding the effects of distant underwater explosion signatures on the hearing abilities of odontocetes.
ISSN:0001-4966
1520-8524
DOI:10.1121/1.429475