Humpback whale acoustic presence in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean

In the Atlantic Sector of the Southern Ocean (ASSO), the investigation of baleen whale distribution by sighting surveys is temporally restricted to the austral summer. The implementation of autonomous passive acoustic monitoring, in turn, allows studying vocal baleen whales year-round. This study describes the results of analyzing passive acoustic data spanning 12 recording positions throughout the ASSO applying a combination of automatic and manual analysis methods to register humpback whale acoustic activity. Humpback whales were present at nine recording positions with higher acoustic activities towards lower latitudes and the eastern and western edges of the ASSO. During all months, except December, humpback whale acoustic activity was registered in the ASSO.