Acoustic characteristics near the living pool of captive belugas whale

Belugas are widely known for their diverse and frequent calls and have been given the nickname, “sea canaries.” As the number of belugas has been living in aquariums and ocean parks, it is very important for us to provide a comfortable environment for these creatures. That means we should understand how sounds made by belugas vocalization and environmental noise related to belugas habitats, therefore designing the most suitable artificial pool for these creatures. This study is on sound acquisition and acoustic estimation near the living pool of captive belugas whales in a new Ocean Park. Besides different hydrophones using for passive acoustic recording, accelerometer sensors and sound meters are deployed to obtain structural vibrations and airborne noises, respectively. Acoustic signals in different sites and pools were recorded, and their characteristics are analyzed and compared to mainly understand the relationship between underwater acoustics and structural vibrations. In the future, more detail tests will design to find out what is the main noise source which may be influencing belugas’ living. This study is also helpful to apply appropriate and reasonable methods for noise reduction. [Work supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41374147).]