EAGER: Collaborative Research: Acoustic Ecology of Foraging Antarctic Blue Whales in the Vicinity of Antarctic Krill

了解蓝鲸与其猎物之间的相互作用对于了解南极生态系统动态至关重要。2019年夏天，一次国际跨学科研究航程将前往南极，总体目标是绘制南极磷虾和蓝鲸的分布图，以确定蓝鲸的觅食偏好是否在一定程度上取决于南极磷虾群的密度和形状。此次考察航次将结合先进的研究技术(包括自主水下航行器、短期标签、摄影测量，以及船载实时被动监听和主动回声探测仪)来回答有关南极磷虾的密度、群体形状和行为如何影响南极蓝鲸的问题。美国将在一艘澳大利亚科考船上参与这一航行，通过使用固定系泊设备上的被动监听和回声探测仪，收集并行的捕食者和猎物数据。通过将系泊数据收集与侧重于南极蓝鲸行为和磷虾动态的船基调查结合起来，该项目将有助于了解与蓝鲸及其猎物之间的动态有关的基本问题，并有助于开发仪器和技术，以加强目前在南极大陆和周围冰盖水域进行现场观测的能力。该项目将通过项目网站和博客，为高中生和普通公众提供一个教育平台，通过“虚拟航行”虚拟体验南极洲。学生和普通公众也将有机会参与邮轮后的数据分析。澳大利亚南极分部和塔斯马尼亚大学将在2019年南极夏领导一次前往南极的国际航行。这次航行的总体目标将是绘制南极磷虾(Euphausia Superba)和蓝鲸(Balaenoptera Musculus)的分布图，以确定蓝鲸的觅食偏好是否在一定程度上取决于南极磷虾群的密度和形状。美国参与航行将需要在固定的系泊设备上部署被动和主动声学仪器，同时对蓝鲸进行实时声学和视觉跟踪和定位，从而能够更好地指导船只作业，以聚集动物，从而实现精细的声学跟踪和猎物领域测绘。这种方法将是第一次在南极洲部署这样的声学系统，并以综合的方式使用来评估觅食行为和磷虾。因此，该项目将促进对蓝鲸声学生态、磷虾丰度和蓝鲸密度之间关系的理解。这项技术的部署和测试还将用于评估其在冰盖水域的潜在用途，以供未来进行类似研究。该项目将通过外展和教育以及与更广泛的国际科学界的合作产生更广泛的影响。该项目将为高中生和普通公众提供虚拟体验南极洲的教育平台。研究成果将通过同行评议的出版物、演讲、学生讲座、研讨会和机构沟通团队通过适当的媒体渠道向科学界和更广泛的公众传达。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Understanding the interaction between blue whales and their prey is essential for understanding Antarctic ecosystem dynamics. In the austral summer of 2019 an international interdisciplinary research voyage will head to the Antarctic with the overall goal of mapping Antarctic krill and blue whale distributions to determine if foraging preferences of blue whales are dictated in part by the density and shape of Antarctic krill swarms. This research voyage will combine advanced research technologies (including autonomous underwater vehicles, short term-tags, photogrammetry, and ship-based, real-time passive listening and active echosounders) to answer questions about how the density, swarm shape and behavior of Antarctic krill influence Antarctic blue whales. U.S. participation on this voyage on an Australian research vessel will allow collection of concurrent predator and prey data through the use of passive listening and echosounders from a fixed mooring. By coupling moored data collection with the ship-based survey focusing on Antarctic blue whale behavior and krill dynamics, the project will contribute to the understanding of basic questions relating to the dynamics between blue whales and their prey as well as adding to the development of instrumentation and technologies that will enhance current capabilities for in situ observing on the continent and the surrounding ice-covered waters. The project will provide an educational platform for high school students and the general public to virtually experience Antarctica via "virtual sailing" through a project website and blog. Students and the general public also will be allowed the opportunity to participate in post-cruise data analysis. The Australian Antarctic Division and the University of Tasmania will lead an international voyage to the Antarctic in the austral summer of 2019. The overall goal of the voyage will be to map Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus) distributions to determine if the foraging preferences of blue whales are dictated in part by the density and shape of Antarctic krill swarms. US participation in voyage will entail the deployment of passive and active acoustic instrumentation on a fixed mooring in concert with real-time acoustic and visual tracking and localizing of blue whales that will then allow better directing of ship operations towards aggregations of animals such that fine-scale acoustic tracking and prey field mapping can be achieved. This approach will be the first time such an acoustic system is deployed in Antarctica and used in an integrative fashion to assess foraging behaviors and krill. Thus, the project will advance understanding of the relationships between the acoustic ecology of blue whales, krill abundance, and blue whale densities. The technology deployment and testing will also be used to assess its potential use in ice-covered waters for similar studies in the future. Broader impacts of this project will occur through outreach and education, as well as through the collaborations with the broader international scientific community. The project will provide educational platforms for high school students and general public to virtually experience Antarctica. Research findings will be communicated to both the scientific community and the wider public through peer-reviewed publications, presentations, student lectures, seminars and communication through appropriate media channels by institutional communications teams.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.