The Acoustic Ecology of the Fin Whale in Eastern Antarctic and Australian Waters

Abstract

Utilising ~360,000 hours of underwater sound recordings, this thesis presents a broad-scale study of the acoustic ecology of the Southern Hemisphere sub-species of fin whale in Eastern Antarctic, Sub-Antarctic, and Australian waters. The thesis results outline the seasonal migratory presence and song repertoire of the animals, suggesting two separate sub-populations of fin whale in these regions. Further, this thesis investigated diel patterns and environmental drivers of the animals’ presence in Eastern Antarctic waters