Due to extensive morphological variation and inadequately-sampled or poorly-designed studies, the taxonomy of the finless porpoises (genus Neophocaena) has been controversial for some time. An uneasy stability with the arrangement…
Toothed whales use sonar to detect, locate, and track prey. They adjust emitted sound intensity, auditory sensitivity and click rate to target range, and terminate prey pursuits with high-repetition-rate, low-intensity…
Visually dominant animals use gaze adjustments to organize perceptual inputs for cognitive processing. Thereby they manage the massive sensory load from complex and noisy scenes. Echolocation, as an active sensory…
The diving behaviour of seven free-ranging harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) was examined using time–depth recorders. In total, 8167 individual dives were recorded over 254 h. The longest period of data collection…
Field recordings of harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) were made in the inner Danish waters with a vertical array of three or four hydrophones. The back-calculated source level ranged from 178…
Studies concerning the echolocation behaviour of odontocetes focus mainly on target detection and discrimination, either in stationary animals or in animals approaching a specific target. We present the first data…
Synchronized video and high-frequency audio recordings of two trained harbour porpoises searching for and capturing live fish were used to study swimming and echolocation behaviour. One animal repeated the tasks…
Herpesviruses infect a wide range of vertebrates, including toothed whales of the order Cetacea. One of the smallest toothed whales is the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), which is widespread in…
The impact of underwater noise on marine life calls for identification of exposure criteria to inform mitigation. Here we review recent experimental evidence with focus on the high-frequency cetaceans and…
The harbour porpoise Phocoena phocoena experiences high rates of incidental mortality in commercial fisheries, and in some areas these rates are sufficiently high to justify concern over population sustainability. Given…