Summary
The population of fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) that inhabits the Mediterranean Sea is protected by several international agreements and it has been recently classified as endangered by the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Many surveys confirmed the seasonal presence of fin whales (FW) in highly productive regions of the Mediterranean Sea, where the animals aggregate for feeding and social purposes. However, very little is known about the population’s acoustic behavior and no information is available concerning the main reproductive areas and routes that the individuals seasonally follow in the Mediterranean Sea. This project focuses on the definition of the species’ acoustic behavior and seasonal movements in south-central Mediterranean Sea. Potential recurrent patterns in Mediterranean FW songs will be studied and the differences in terms of functioning and use of emitted call sequences could be defined for the first time by coupling Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) methods with field studies. The influence of environmental and anthropogenic factors such as variations of diffuse noise levels and oceanographic conditions on FW acoustic communication will be studied.

Objectives
Main goals of the project are: (i) to study the acoustic behavior of the Mediterranean population of fin whales by defining the features of the typical low frequency calls (20-Hz pulses) and songs emitted. Their context of use will be assessed for the first time by associating large-scale acoustic observations and field surveys; (ii) to evaluate the impact of noise sources on intraspecies communication, by performing the first field studies on FW sound propagation, defining source levels and modeling communication space; (iii) to define the main hotspots for the species and the degree of seasonal dispersion of the population in the area. Expected outputs are essential to understand fin whale population ecology, behavior and distribution. The actions performed will also improve the understanding of the effects of noise pollution on this species, as urgently required for the development of conservation strategies.

Project Partners
• Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn di Napoli
• Università degli Studi di Messina