Fin whale song recordings by onshore seismometers open new horizons for cetacean coastal monitoring.

ABSTRACT: Fin whales, the second largest animal on Earth, produce one of the most intense vocalisations in the animal kingdom. Monitoring these songs using ocean-deployed hydrophones plays an important role in the study of fin whale distribution and social behaviour, though obtaining real-time data remains challenging. In this feasibility study we investigate if vocalising near-coastal fin whales can be widely detected and located with onshore seismometers. Inspecting data from pre-existing seismic installations we establish that fin whale song can be detected with onshore seismometers up to 5.5 km inland, across multiple marine environments, globally. Individual creatures can be located and tracked through the analysis of seismic wave properties. Furthermore, we show that citizen science seismomete

SUBMITTER: Mollhoff M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12008217 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature