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Right Whales from North to South: Similarities and Differences in Acoustic Communication

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Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Mysticetes

Part of the book series: Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals ((EBEMM))

Abstract

Right whales have a long history of interactions with humans, being arguably the first commercially hunted species of whale. There are currently three recognized species of right whales including the North Pacific right whale (Eubalaena japonica), the North Atlantic right whale (Eubalaena glacialis), and the southern right whale (Eubalaena australis). The conservation status of these three species varies. Both of the northern hemisphere species are endangered and have only a few hundred individuals remaining, while the southern hemisphere species have multiple growing breeding populations that include thousands of individuals. Studies of right whale behavioral ecology and acoustic communication started in the 1960s and 1970s with studies off Massachusetts for North Atlantic right whales, and off Argentina for southern right whales. Behavioral studies of the less accessible North Pacific right whales have lagged behind, with most information on their behavior being published in the past 20 years. All right whale species share similarities in their acoustic repertoires, with a stereotyped contact call, the upcall and a loud broadband impulsive sound, the gunshot, being described for all species. Beyond these stereotyped sound types, right whales all share a graded repertoire of signals that range from pulsive to tonal in structure. Sound type usage varies by the behavioral context of the communication, and sound types appear to serve similar behavioral roles in all three species. Studies across species suggest that there are differences in sound production that reflect the sex and age class of the signaling individual. Additional studies have demonstrated behavioral responses of right whales to exposure from noise in their environments. Emerging areas for future research include the expansion of the use of passive acoustic monitoring to aid in the conservation of these whales.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter was only possible due to the mentoring, collaboration, and inspiration from many outstanding scientists, both past and present, who have contributed to the large body of knowledge about right whales. I acknowledge and thank Scott Kraus and the North Atlantic right whale consortium, my first introduction to right whales and a scientific home for me for the past 20 years studying these fascinating whales. The dedication of right whale biologists, researchers, and conservationists around the world working to understand and conserve these whales is truly inspirational, and I feel honored to have the opportunity to be part of this global community.

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  1. Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Susan E. Parks

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Correspondence to Susan E. Parks .

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  1. K. Kisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Christopher W. Clark

  2. Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK

    Ellen C. Garland

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Parks, S.E. (2022). Right Whales from North to South: Similarities and Differences in Acoustic Communication. In: Clark, C.W., Garland, E.C. (eds) Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Mysticetes . Ethology and Behavioral Ecology of Marine Mammals. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-98449-6_13

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