Posts by jowilly

Ocean sound is a major cue for marine organisms. Sound travels farther and faster than in air, rendering it more effective than visual and chemical cues over long distances. Some turtle species produce sounds, but little is known about their hearing capabilities. Much of our current knowledge of turtle hearing comes from anatomical models, which suggest some species hear lower frequencies. Lab experiments have showed that turtle hatchlings use wave-sound to orient themselves towards the ocean, but many questions about how sound is used as a sensory cue.

Birds are well-known for their acoustic communication yet for often imperiled seabirds, auditory data is challenging to obtain and hearing data are limited. We are combining hearing, noise, anatomy and soundscape studies to understand the hearing of deep-diving Auks.