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

了解蓝鲸和它们的猎物之间的相互作用对于了解南极生态系统动力学至关重要。在2019年的南方夏季，一个国际跨学科研究航行将前往南极，其总体目标是绘制南极磷虾和蓝鲸的分布，以确定蓝鲸的觅食偏好是否部分取决于南极磷虾群的密度和形状。这次研究航行将结合先进的研究技术（包括自主水下航行器、短期标签、摄影测量和基于船的实时被动聆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。美国将乘坐一艘澳大利亚研究船参加这次航行，通过使用固定系泊处的被动监听和回声测深仪，收集同时发生的捕食者和猎物数据。通过将系泊数据收集与以南极蓝鲸行为和磷虾动态为重点的船舶调查相结合，该项目将有助于了解与蓝鲸及其猎物之间动态有关的基本问题，并增加仪器和技术的发展，这些仪器和技术将提高目前在大陆和周围冰层覆盖水域进行现场观测的能力。该项目将为高中生和公众提供一个教育平台，通过项目网站和博客，通过“虚拟航行”虚拟体验南极洲。学生和公众也将有机会参与后巡航数据分析。澳大利亚南极分部和塔斯马尼亚大学将于2019年南方夏季领导一次南极国际航行。这次航行的总体目标是绘制南极磷虾（Euphausia superba）和蓝鲸（Balaenoptera musculus）的分布图，以确定蓝鲸的觅食偏好是否部分取决于南极磷虾群的密度和形状。美国参与此次航行将需要在固定系泊处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，从而更好地指导船只对动物聚集的操作，从而实现精细的声学跟踪和猎物场测绘。这种方法将是首次在南极洲部署这种声学系统，并以综合方式用于评估觅食行为和磷虾。因此，该项目将促进对蓝鲸的声学生态，磷虾丰度和蓝鲸密度之间关系的理解。该技术的部署和测试也将用于评估其在冰覆盖水域的潜在用途，以便将来进行类似的研究。该项目将通过外联和教育以及通过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公众提供教育平台，让他们虚拟地体验南极洲。研究成果将通过同行评议的出版物、报告、学生讲座、研讨会和机构传播小组通过适当的媒体渠道传播给科学界和更广泛的公众。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识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.