Marc Lammers

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Verified

Marc verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• BA, PhD
• Research Ecologist at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The juvenile period is an important stage of growth and development across animals, often consisting of graded stages of physical and social development. For cetaceans, locomotor and social development are key to survival after weaning; individuals require dive capabilities for successful foraging and navigating their aquatic habitat as well as rob...

Protected areas are typically managed as a network of sites exposed to varying anthropogenic conditions. Managing these networks benefits from monitoring of conditions across sites to help prioritize coordinated efforts. Monitoring marine vessel activity and related underwater radiated noise impacts across a network of protected areas, like the U.S...

Passive acoustic monitoring is an effective technique for long-term monitoring of the soundscape in marine protected areas. Ocean noise is a key concern for the U.S. Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and has been identified as a research priority. The Sanctuary Soundscape Monitoring Project (“SanctSound”) was implemented to support efforts to a...

For the 40 years after the end of commercial whaling in 1976, humpback whale populations in the North Pacific Ocean exhibited a prolonged period of recovery. Using mark–recapture methods on the largest individual photo-identification dataset ever assembled for a cetacean, we estimated annual ocean-basin-wide abundance for the species from 2002 thro...

Passive acoustic monitoring is widely used for detection and localization of marine mammals. Typically, pressure sensors are used, although several studies utilized acoustic vector sensors (AVSs), that measure acoustic pressure and particle velocity and can estimate azimuths to acoustic sources. The AVSs can localize sources using a reduced number...

Protected areas are typically managed as a network of sites exposed to varying anthropogenic conditions. Managing these networks benefits from monitoring of conditions across sites to help prioritize coordinated efforts. Monitoring marine vessel activity and related underwater noise impacts across a network of protected areas, like the U.S. Nationa...

Passive acoustic monitoring is an effective technique for studying cetacean presence within marine protected areas (MPAs). The Hawaiian archipelago is home to 18 species of resident toothed whales, but little is known regarding the spatio-temporal variability of false killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens—FKW) and short-finned pilot whales (Globiceph...

The occurrence of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) across the 2600 km of Hawaiian archipelago, which include the remote atolls, banks, and seamounts of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM), remains poorly understood. Previous surveys for humpback whales beyond the main Hawaiian Islands have been scarce due to limited access and...

The United States of America’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) hosts 15 National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) and two Monuments in its waters. Charismatic marine megafauna, such as fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), and various delphinid species frequent these areas, but little is known about thei...

No PDF available ABSTRACT False killer whales (Pseudorca crassidens) and short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) are resident, toothed whale species to the Hawaiian archipelago. False killer whales are considered of high concern in Hawai‘i with the insular population listed as endangered. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an effec...

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are exceptionally vocal among baleen whale species. While extensive research has been conducted on humpback whale songs, gaps remain in our understanding of other forms of communication, particularly non-song calls. Here, we compare the spectral features and temporal parameters of non-song calls recorded fro...

No PDF available ABSTRACT Studying individual variation in vocal behavior can provide insight into its functions, stability, and mechanisms. Collecting such data at the scale of the individual can be facilitated using animal-borne tags. Here, we use archival suction-cup acoustic recording tags to investigate intra-individual variation in male humpb...

ABSTRACT The Hawaiian islands are home to more than 20 species of cetaceans and are the principal breeding ground of the north Pacific humpback whale population. The archipelago stretches more than 2500 km from Hawaii Island to Kure Atoll, creating a significant challenge for monitoring the occurrence and distribution of cetaceans across such a vas...

Aquatic environments encompass the world’s most extensive habitats, rich with sounds produced by a diversity of animals. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is an increasingly accessible remote sensing technology that uses hydrophones to listen to the underwater world and represents an unprecedented, non-invasive method to monitor underwater environm...

Acoustic vector sensors allow estimating the direction of travel of an acoustic wave at a single point by measuring both acoustic pressure and particle motion on orthogonal axes. In a two-dimensional plane, the location of an acoustic source can thus be determined by triangulation using the estimated azimuths from at least two vector sensors. Howev...

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) with autonomous bottom-moored recorders is widely used to study cetacean occurrence, distribution and behaviors, as it is less affected by factors that limit other observation methods (e.g., vessel, land and aerial-based surveys) such as inclement weather, sighting conditions, or remoteness of study sites. During t...

ABSTRACT Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) with autonomous bottom-moored recorders is widely used to study cetacean occurrence, distribution, and behaviors, as it is less constrained by factors that often limit other traditional visual observation methods, such as weather and accessibility. During the breeding season, male humpback whales produce a...

No PDF available ABSTRACT Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are one of the most social of all baleen whale species. Despite extensive research into humpback whale song, gaps remain in the understanding of humpback whale communication. These gaps are particularly evident with respect to humpback whale non-song social vocalizations. This study...

Soundscapes offer rich descriptions of composite acoustic environments. Characterizing marine soundscapes simply through sound levels results in incomplete descriptions, limits the understanding of unique features, and impedes meaningful comparisons. Sources that contribute to sound level metrics shift in time and space with changes in biological p...

Hawaiian spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) rest during the day in the islands’ coastal waters where they are susceptible to human disturbance. Due to concerns over the negative impacts of human activity, the Pacific Islands Regional Office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has proposed a 50-yard approach rule for...

Background Prioritizing groupings of organisms or ‘units’ below the species level is a critical issue for conservation purposes. Several techniques encompassing different time-frames, from genetics to ecological markers, have been considered to evaluate existing biological diversity at a sufficient temporal resolution to define conservation units....

The distribution of odontocetes on a daily scale is largely driven by bottom-up processes that in turn influence foraging opportunities. Environmental variables such as bathymetry may help indicate productive foraging regions and serve as useful tools when assessing dolphin spatial and temporal patterns. To begin to understand daily spatial pattern...

No PDF available ABSTRACT Humpback whale song consists of sequences of frequency-modulated sounds whose exact purpose remains unknown. Tracking multiple individuals simultaneously may provide insights into song function and assist in population estimation; unfortunately, during the winter breeding season off Hawaii so many whales produce overlappin...

Approximately half of the North Pacific humpback whale Megaptera novaeangliae stock visits the shallow waters of the main Hawaiian Islands seasonally. Within this breeding area, mature males produce an elaborate acoustic display known as song, which becomes the dominant source of ambient underwater sound between December and April. Following report...

Long-term monitoring of cetacean vocalizations allows for the exploration of their occurrence, seasonality and abundance. However, accurate automatic detection of vocalizations from vast acoustic datasets containing diverse sound sources remains a challenge. In this study, we propose the permutation entropy (H) and the sample entropy (SE) as metric...

Ecosystems and the communities they support are changing at alarmingly rapid rates. Tracking species diversity is vital to managing these stressed habitats. Yet, quantifying and monitoring biodiversity is often challenging, especially in ocean habitats. Given that many animals make sounds, these cues travel efficiently under water, and emerging tec...

Bio-logging devices are advancing the understanding of marine animal behavior, but linking sound production and behavior of individual baleen whales is still unreliable. Tag placement potentially within the near field of the sound source creates uncertainty about how tagged animal sounds will register on recorders. This study used data from a tagge...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

The identification of important areas during the annual life cycle of migratory animals, such as baleen whales, is vital for their conservation. In boreal springtime, fin and blue whales feed in the Azores on their way to northern latitudes while sei whales migrate through the archipelago with only occasional feeding. Little is known about their au...

Several seamounts have been identified as hotspots of marine life in the Azores, acting as feeding stations for top predators, including cetaceans. Passive acoustic monitoring is an efficient tool to study temporal variations in the occurrence and behaviour of vocalizing cetacean species. We deployed bottom-moored Ecological Acoustic Recorders (EAR...

A paucity of information on the basic biology and ecology of Cook Inlet beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas remains a decade after the species was listed as endangered in 2008. The causes of its continued decline remain unclear. This lack of knowledge limits our understanding of, and ability to manage, potential threats impeding the recovery of thi...

Given the difficulties and costs often associated with surveying cetaceans, enlisting members of the public to collect data offers a promising alternative approach. Comparison of cetacean 'participatory science' (also known as 'citizen science') data with data collected during traditional scientific studies helps reveal the strengths and weaknesses...

Competition for prey resources among ecologically similar populations that occur in sympatry can be reduced by spatiotemporal resource partitioning. Understanding patterns of habitat use of cetaceans can be difficult since they are highly mobile and can have large home ranges. We used passive acoustic monitoring at 15 sites along the coast of Washi...

Spinner dolphins, Stenella longirostris, occur globally in tropical and subtropical waters and form island-associated populations in many parts of the world. These populations are closely tied to island resources, relying on enhanced aggregations of mesopelagic prey and nearshore habitats to conduct a highly stereotyped daily behavioral cycle. To e...

The importance of seamounts as foraging hotspots for cetaceans depends on interactions between ocean flow and topographical features that concentrate prey. However, the oceanographic processes driving these aggregations are still unclear. Here, we analyzed two months of passive acoustic recordings from two remote seamounts in the Northeast Atlantic...

Anthropogenic noise has been identified as a major threat for the recovery of the endangered Cook Inlet beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, population, but little is known about its occurrence in critical habitat. We analyzed 8,756 h of acoustic recordings from different locations and months in Cook Inlet, Alaska, to describe anthropogenic noise, evalua...

We examined the diel vertical migration (DVM) behavior and vertical spatial structure of sound-scattering layers (SLs) at two seamounts (Condor and Gigante) in the Azores and in surrounding open-waters. Active acoustic data were recorded day and night during nine cruises conducted in spring, summer and autumn between 2009 and 2011. SLs were permane...

Approximately half of the north Pacific humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) population migrates from high latitude feeding grounds to Hawaii each winter and spring to breed. Beginning in 2015, unusually low numbers of whales began to be reported in Hawaii and this trend continued through 2018. To examine this reported trend, data from bottom-mo...

Information about the occurrence of marine mammals near the Colville River Delta (CRD), Beaufort Sea, Alaska is limited for most species expected to occur in this region. As part of marine mammal monitoring and mitigation for a seismic acquisition program August 25–September 30, 2014, we recorded marine mammal occurrence in a ~ 30 km² survey area b...

Multiple concurrent approaches are often useful for investigating cetacean occurrence and behavioral patterns. For example, underwater passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can document spatial and temporal patterns and variability in cetacean vocalizations, while visual observations at the sur-face can provide information on group size and composition...

In the early 1970s, Roger Payne and colleagues developed a non-invasive, shore-based method for collecting data on free-ranging marine mammals in their natural environments. By using a theodolite, or surveyor’s transit, they were able to collect data on nearshore marine mammal movement patterns, habitat use, and behavior without any disruption to t...

Coral reefs are characterized by high biodiversity, and evidence suggests that reef soundscapes reflect local species assemblages. To investigate how sounds produced on a given reef relate to abiotic and biotic parameters and how that relationship may change over time, an observational study was conducted between September 2014 and January 2016 at...

To investigate the potential impacts of naval mine neutralization exercises (MINEX) on odontocete cetaceans, a long-term passive acoustic monitoring study was conducted at a US Navy training range near Virginia Beach, USA. Bottom-moored acoustic recorders were deployed in 2012–2016 near the epicentre of MINEX training activity and were refurbished...

Biophysical coupling at seamounts may lead to the formation of pelagic foraging hotspots, which can attract predators like cetaceans. Spatial and temporal dynamics of prey has a strong effect on the foraging success and performance of predators. Dolphins change their distribution and foraging strategy in response to changes in micronekton prey abun...

Biological sounds occurring on coral reefs are increasingly recognized as important factors influencing reef dynamics and ecological processes. Soundscapes of coral reefs can be broadly divided into a low-frequency band (<1 kHz), dominated by sounds produced by acoustically active fish, and a high-frequency band (2–20 kHz) dominated by snapping shr...

The impact of marine ecotourism on reef predators is poorly understood and there is growing concern that overcrowding in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) may disturb the species that these areas were established to protect. To improve our understanding of this issue, we used acoustic telemetry to examine the relationship between human activity at the...

Each winter, thousands of North Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from their high latitude feeding grounds in Alaska to mate and calve in the shallow tropical waters around the Main Hawaiian Islands. Previous studies on humpback whales in Hawaii have focused on the whales’ acoustic behavior and their general distribution with...

Coral reefs harbor some of the highest biodiversity on the planet. Their rich ecoacoustic soundscape may provide a way to track both animal activities and community level structure. To do so, it is critical to identify how reef soundscapes are influenced by biotic and abiotic parameters, and establish how soundscapes change over time and across hab...

Coral reef soundscapes comprise a range of biological sounds. To investigate how the sounds produced on a given reef relate to the species present, 7 Hawaiian reefs that varied in their species assemblages were equipped with acoustic recorders operating on a 10% duty cycle for 16 months, starting in September 2014. Benthic and fish visual surveys w...

Assessment of underwater noise is of particular interest given the increase in noise-generating human activities and the potential negative effects on marine mammals which depend on sound for many vital processes. The Azores archipelago is an important migratory and feeding habitat for blue (Balaenoptera musculus), fin (Balaenoptera physalus) and s...

Knowledge of the dynamics of micronekton at seamounts is critical to understanding the ecological role of these ecosystems. Active acoustic techniques are an effective tool to monitor the distribution and movements of pelagic organisms. We carried out several day- and nighttime active acoustic surveys over a 3-year period (2009–2011) to characteriz...

Herring-eating killer whales debilitate herring with underwater tail slaps and likely herd herring into tighter schools using a feeding-specific low-frequency pulsed call (‘herding’ call). Feeding on herring may be dependent upon daylight, as the whales use their white underside to help herd herring; however, feeding at night has not been investiga...

Each winter, thousands of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate from their high latitude feeding grounds in Alaska to mate and calve in the shallow tropical waters around the Main Hawaiian Islands. Population estimates suggest that up to 10,000 animals winter in Hawaiian waters, making up more than half of the total North Pacific stock....

Acoustic signals are fundamental to animal communication, and cetaceans are often considered bioacoustic specialists. Nearly all studies of their acoustic communication focus on sound pressure measurements, overlooking the particle motion components of their communication signals. Here we characterized the levels of acoustic particle velocity (and...

Cook Inlet beluga whales (CIBs) are an endangered population residing in Cook Inlet, Alaska. We characterized the calling behavior of CIBs to improve our understanding of sounds produced by this population. Bottom-moored hydrophones were deployed at Eagle Bay in summer 2009 and at Trading Bay in summer and winter 2009. CIB sounds were qualitatively...

Long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) was conducted to study Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins, Sousa chinensis, as part of environmental impact assessments for several major coastal development projects in Hong Kong waters north of Lantau Island. Ecological acoustic recorders obtained 2711 days of recording at 13 sites from December 2012 to Dec...

Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) in the near-shore waters of the Hawaiian islands forage on the mesopelagic boundary community (mbc) of organisms consisting of myctophids, mid-water shrimp, and small squids. They forage at night in a coordinated fashion swimming parallel to shore hunting for patches of prey that they can encircle and herd i...

Coral reef soundscapes are increasingly becoming recognized as critical factors in the study of reef dynamics, from the role they play in larval recruitment to the assessment of coral reef biodiversity and ecosystem stability. Snapping shrimp produce the predominant source of sound on most coral reefs at frequencies between 2 and 20 kHz. Their acti...

Acoustic communication can rapidly transfer a substantial amount of information, yet emitted signals must be conveyed with enough clarity to allow appropriate responses. Many mysticete calls such as humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) song can be detected over large distances as a result of the propagating acoustic pressure wave, yet little is...

Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) occur commonly along Hawaii’s sloping coastlines where they follow a daily behavioral routine of foraging offshore at night on vertically migrating mesopelagic and epipelagic prey and then return to shallower waters to rest during the day. Populations of spinner dolphins have been well documented off Hawaii...

In 1993, the same year that The Sonar of Dolphins was published, Whitlow Au transitioned from the U.S. Navy’s Naval Ocean Systems Center to the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology. Thus began a second professional act, so to speak, of field-based research and mentoring the next generation of marine bioacousticians. An electrical engineer doing field...

The identification of delphinid species on the basis of the characteristics of their acoustic signals is an important aspect of many passive acoustic monitoring efforts. The development of species classifiers relies on the assumption that species-specific signal characteristics will be consistent across different recording scenarios, including dept...

Coral reef soundscapes are dynamic, demonstrating amplitude and spectral variability across timescales from seconds to seasons. Some of this variability can result from spatiotemporally heterogeneous patterns of human activity. To characterize this variability and the extent to which anthropogenic sound can modify the biological soundscape, seven H...

The naval forces of many nations conduct mine detonation exercises in coastal waters as part of their regular training. These exercises have the potential to disturb, injure or even kill marine mammals occurring in the same area. To address concerns about this possibility at the U.S. Navy’s Virginia Capes (VACAPES) Range Complex, an effort was cond...

A critical concern with respect to marine animal acoustics is the issue of hearing “sensitivity,” as it is widely used as a criterion for the onset of noise-induced effects. Important aspects of research on sensitivity to sound by marine animals include: uncertainties regarding how well these species detect and respond to different sounds; the mask...

As part of a long-term research program, Cook Inlet beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) presence was acoustically monitored with two types of acoustic sensors utilized in tandem in moorings deployed year-round: an ecological acoustic recorder (EAR) and a cetacean and porpoise detector (C-POD). The EAR was used primarily to record the calls, whistles, an...

Seafloor acoustic recorders are commonly used to obtain information about cetaceans, as they allow data to be collected for long periods without the presence of a human operator. Recordings collected using seafloor instruments do not have associated visual observations, so species must be identified based on their calls. Visually validated acoustic...

The use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) to detect aquatic life continues to increase because PAM devices can be deployed in remote areas and can operate for months or years at a time in a programmed manner to control the recording time, the duration of each recording, and the time to “sleep” to preserve battery power. This introduction will di...

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) can be an effective tool for studying marine fauna in coral reefs and other ecosystems. We analyzed PAM data from 2006 to 2009 at French Frigate Shoals (FFS) in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. We measured received sound pressure levels (SPL) over time within different frequency bands from 0 to 20 kHz, and used a...

Acoustic signals are fundamental to animal communication, and cetaceans are often considered bioacoustic specialists. Nearly, all studies of their acoustic communication focus on sound pressure measurements, overlooking the particle motion components of their communication signals. Here, we characterize the levels of acoustic particle velocity (and...

Acoustic signals are fundamental to animal communication, and cetaceans are often considered bioacoustic specialists. Nearly, all studies of their acoustic communication focus on sound pressure measurements, overlooking the particle motion components of their communication signals. Here, we characterize the levels of acoustic particle velocity (and...

This title brings to light the discoveries and insights into the lives of many marine species made possible over the last decade by passive acoustic recorders (PAR). Pop-ups, ARF, HARP, EAR, Bprobe, C-POD Atag, and Dtag are the acronyms of some of the many PARs that have changed our understanding of how marine animals live and strive in the ocean....

Chlorophyll is the basis for ecosystem productivity in most marine environments. We report on an ongoing effort to examine whether ambient sounds are tied to chlorophyll levels. We hypothesized that an increase in food-web available energy will be distributed across trophic levels, eventually reaching sound-producing animals and increasing acoustic...

The songs of the male humpback whales have traditionally been associated with breeding activities at low latitude breeding grounds during winter. This study provides the first detailed analysis of humpback whale songs recorded in the subarctic waters of Iceland using passive acoustic recorders. Recordings were collected during three winter seasons:...

Acoustic recordings of two closely related species, spinner dolphin (Stenella longirostris) and pantropical spotted dolphin (Stenella attenuata), were investigated from four different geographic locations: two in the Central Tropical Pacific, one in the Eastern Tropical Pacific and one in the Indian Ocean. The two delphinid species occur in tropica...

Experts survey the latest research on dolphin communication and cognition, offering a comprehensive reference to findings in the laboratory and from the field. Dolphin researchers have collected an impressive amount of data over the last twenty years, thanks to advances in technology for monitoring, recording, and analyzing dolphin behavior as well...

ECS 2015 poster about new Mediterranean fin whales sounds

A seven element, bi-linear hydrophone array was deployed over a coral reef in the Papah~ anaumoku~ akea Marine National Monument, Northwest Hawaiian Islands, in order to investi-gate the spatial, temporal, and spectral properties of biological sound in an environment free of anthropogenic influences. Local biological sound sources, including snappi...

The bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) population at Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR) in Belize faces negative impacts from habitat degradation, overfishing, and anthropogenic noise. Understanding the factors that influence changes in Turneffe dolphin communication is urgent for local conservation planning. Here we investigate the influenc...

Genetic studies have shown that there are small but significant differences between the short-beaked common dolphin populations in the Atlantic Ocean and those in the Mediterranean Sea. The short-beaked common dolphin is a highly vocal species with a wide sound production repertoire including whistles. Whistles are continuous, narrowband, frequency...

To improve our understanding of the complex genetic and ecological structure of bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops truncatus ) populations, we examined the acoustic features of communication signals from two geographically contiguous areas: the Central–Eastern North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea. Variations in the whistles were evaluated for four l...

Coral reefs create a complex acoustic environment, dominated by sounds produced by benthic creatures such as crustaceans and echinoderms. While there is growing interest in the use of ambient underwater biological sound as a gauge of ecological state, extracting meaningful information from recordings is a challenging task. Single hydrophone (omnidi...