Biomaterial Database

Acoustic reflectivity of a harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena). 2019

Whitlow W L Au, and Ronald A Kastelein, and Lean Helder-Hoek

Marine Mammal Research Program, Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology, University of Hawaii, Kaneohe, Hawaii 96744, USA.

Acoustic backscatter measurements were conducted on a stationary harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) under controlled conditions. The measurements were made with the porpoise in the broadside aspect using three different types of signals: (1) a 475 μs linear frequency-modulated (FM) pulse with a frequency range from 23 to 160 kHz; (2) a simulated bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops "truncates") click with a peak frequency of 120 kHz; and (3) a simulated killer whale (Orcinus orca) click with a peak frequency of 60 kHz. The measurement with the FM pulse indicated that the mean target strength at the broadside aspect decreased from -26 to -50 dB as the frequency increased from 23 to 120 kHz in a nearly linear fashion (on a logarithm plot). Target strength variation with frequency was similar to a previous backscatter measurement on a bottlenose dolphin over a comparable frequency range (23-80 kHz). The porpoise seems to be a stealth body with low backscatter properties. The target strength of the porpoise was also about 15-16 dB lower than that of the bottlenose dolphin. The difference in lung volume of the two species when expressed in dB was also approximately 15 dB.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D000161	Acoustic Stimulation	Use of sound to elicit a response in the nervous system.	Auditory Stimulation,Stimulation, Acoustic,Stimulation, Auditory
D000162	Acoustics	The branch of physics that deals with sound and sound waves. In medicine it is often applied in procedures in speech and hearing studies. With regard to the environment, it refers to the characteristics of a room, auditorium, theatre, building, etc. that determines the audibility or fidelity of sounds in it. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed)	Acoustic
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D000819	Animal Communication	Communication between animals involving the giving off by one individual of some chemical or physical signal, that, on being received by another, influences its behavior.	Animal Communications,Communication, Animal,Communications, Animal
D013017	Sound Localization	Ability to determine the specific location of a sound source.	Auditory Localization,Auditory Localizations,Localization, Auditory,Localization, Sound,Localizations, Auditory,Localizations, Sound,Sound Localizations
D013018	Sound Spectrography	The graphic registration of the frequency and intensity of sounds, such as speech, infant crying, and animal vocalizations.	Sonography, Speech,Sonography, Sound,Speech Sonography,Sonographies, Sound,Sound Sonographies,Sound Sonography,Spectrography, Sound
D050741	Phocoena	A genus of PORPOISES, in the family Phocoenidae, comprised of several species. They frequent coastal waters, bays, estuaries, and the mouths of large rivers.	Harbor Porpoise,Common Porpoise,Harbour Porpoise,Phocoena phocoena,Common Porpoises,Harbor Porpoises,Harbour Porpoises,Porpoise, Common,Porpoise, Harbor,Porpoise, Harbour,Porpoises, Common,Porpoises, Harbor,Porpoises, Harbour