Measuring Fin Whale Songs in a Noisy Environment

Acoustics is an essential non-invasive approach to study fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus). Knowledge of this species’ sound repertoire and of its acoustic communication is increasing rapidly with the implementation of a growing number of long-term passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) studies. As for other baleen whales, several works performed in the last decade have proven the importance of song studies in the assessment of population status and conservation. Understanding the structure and use of fin whale songs within and between populations and across different oceans represents the next necessary step to improve PAM capabilities in a highly pressured environment. Many differences still exist in the methodologies and tools applied for this purpose. This chapter presents a brief overview of the main metrics and software used to define fin whale songs and to assess the influence of noise on the detection of fin whale song, and the acoustic communication system of the species is presented.