Underwater acoustic recordings of Antarctic killer whales in McMurdo Sound, Jan-Feb 2018

We collected continuous recordings of killer whale (primarily Antarctic Type C) acoustics from stationary hydrophones deployed at multiple sites along the McMurdo Sound icebreaker channel during the second half of January. Antarctic minke (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) whales were also present but it is unknown whether their vocalisations were recorded. The objective of the work was to (a) establish basic physical parameters relating to detection and sound propagation in a sea-ice dominated environment; (b) obtain high-resolution recordings of the vocal repertoire of Antarctic killer whales; (c) relate acoustics to visual records collected simultaneously; and (d) acoustically track presence-absence and diel movements of whales. This research supports specific objective (vii) for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area, as articulated in CCAMLR Conservation Measure 91-05 Annex B