Read Lab
Conservation Biology
  • About
  • Projects
  • Publications
  • Teaching
  • Students
  • Graduates
  • Opportunities
  • News
Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update

Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update

During the past week we finished deploying satellite tags for the first leg of the 2018 Atlantic Behavioral Response (BRS) study. Then we conducted our first Controlled Exposure Experiment (CEE) with a mid-frequency sonar system deployed from a Navy destroyer. We also conducted another CEE with our scaled sound source, so all together it was a very busy week for us off Cape Hatteras.

One of 10 short-finned pilot whales carrying satellite-linked transmitters for the first leg of the 2018 Atlantic BRS

 

Despite less than ideal weather, we worked with Daniel Webster from the Cascadia Research Collective to deploy satellite-linked transmitters on 10 short-finned pilot whales and two Cuvier’s beaked whales during the first leg of the 2018 Atlantic BRS. These tags transmit data on the diving behavior of tagged whales and allow us to estimate the position of the tagged whales through Service ARGOS. The position estimates from ARGOS are fairly imprecise, so we have been experimenting with FastLoc tags on pilot whales – these tags obtain GPS estimates of location and transmit these locations to orbiting satellites. So far, the FastLoc tags are working quite well.

ZcTag69, the focal Cuvier’s beaked whale for the CEE conducted with the USS Nitze.

 

Our most significant accomplishment during this period was the CEE we conducted with the USS Nitze, a guided missile destroyer based in Norfolk, Virginia. CEEs with Navy vessels require an extremely high level of co-ordination between our research team and the vessel.  The day before the experiment, we determined the approximate location of one of our tagged beaked whales and provided this information to the Nitze, so that the vessel could transit overnight to the approximate starting point of the experimental trial.

The USS Nitze, a guided missile destroyer based in Norfolk.

 

On the morning of the trial, our crew on the RV Barber visually relocated the tagged whale, providing an exact position of the animal. Meanwhile, Brandon Southall and Doug Nowacek were running real-time acoustic propagation models to determine how far the vessel should be from the tagged whale to achieve a specific received level of the sonar signal. This allowed us to provide specific start and end positions for the destroyer.  We successfully conduct the hour-long trial and, once the field season is completed, we’ll examine the behavioral response of the focal beaked whale plus the other 11 tagged whales. We appreciate the cooperation of the officers and crew of the Nitze in conducting the CEE and for fitting the trial into their busy training schedule.

Sperm whale off Cape Hatteras. Note the characteristic asymmetry of the head – the blowhole is located well to the left of the center line of the whale.

 

While all this was happening, Heather Foley from Duke and Tiffany Keenan-Bateman from UNCW were in the air, listening for the radio signals from a couple of wayward Digital Acoustic Tags. Heather and Tiffany flew over the Barber and our focal beaked whale and also observed a group of sperm whales and a solitary fin whale in the Gulf Stream.

June 5, 2018 aread@duke.edu

About the author

aread@duke.edu

Recent Posts

  • Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021
    Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021August 6, 2021
  • First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021
    First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021July 9, 2021
  • Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEEJuly 16, 2020

Popular Posts

  • Debate over Whale Shares in Ecological Applications
    Debate over Whale Shares in Ecological ApplicationsJanuary 24, 2014
  • Status of the VaquitaAugust 3, 2014
  • Fall Tagging Project off Cape HatterasSeptember 15, 2014

Recent news:

  • Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021
    Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021 August 6, 2021

    On July 30, we conducted a successful Controlled Exposure Experiment (CEE) with...

  • First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021
    First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021 July 9, 2021

    After a long wait for good weather and engine repairs to the R/V Richard T. Barb...

  • Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE July 16, 2020

    On Wednesday, July 16th we completed a successful experimental playback of...

  • Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE August 10, 2019

        On August 6th, we conducted a successful Controlled Exposure Exper...

  • Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway
    Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway May 12, 2019

    The first field season of our 2019 Atlantic Behavioral Response Study (BRS) is u...

  • 2018 BRS – Second Phase – First Update
    2018 BRS – Second Phase – First Update August 16, 2018

    Last week we welcomed Jessica Aschettino to our field team to deploy satellite-l...

  • Wrapping Up The First Phase of the 2018 Atlantic BRS
    Wrapping Up The First Phase of the 2018 Atlantic BRS June 25, 2018

    We have just wrapped up field work in the first phase of the 2018 Atlantic Behav...

  • Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update
    Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Second Update June 5, 2018

    During the past week we finished deploying satellite tags for the first leg of t...

  • Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Update
    Atlantic BRS 2018 Field Work Update May 28, 2018

    Despite more unsettled weather, we made significant progress on the Atlantic BRS...

  • Field Work Underway for Atlantic BRS 2018
    Field Work Underway for Atlantic BRS 2018 May 16, 2018

    It has been a challenging start to field work for the 2018 Atlantic Behavioral R...

Contact Andy:

252-504-7590

aread*duke.edu

135 Duke Marine Lab Road

Beaufort, NC 28516

Recent news from our lab:

  • Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021
    Atlantic BRS – First CEE of 2021 August 6, 2021
  • First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021
    First Tag Deployments for Atlantic BRS 2021 July 9, 2021
  • Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2020 – First CEE July 16, 2020
  • Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE
    Atlantic BRS 2019 – Multi-Scale CEE August 10, 2019
  • Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway
    Atlantic BRS 2019 Underway May 12, 2019

Our group:

MCE@D
DUML
Copyright © 2014 MyCompany.com. All Rights Reserved
©2022 Nicholas School of the Environment | Duke University | Durham, NC, USA

Site Login >