Source levels and call parameters of harbor seal breeding vocalizations near a terrestrial haulout site in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve

Abstract

Source levels of harbor seal breeding vocalizations were estimated using a three-element planar hydrophone array near the Beardslee Islands in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska. The average source level for these calls was 144 dBRMS re 1 μPa at 1 m in the 40–500 Hz frequency band. Source level estimates ranged from 129 to 149 dBRMS re 1 μPa. Four call parameters, including minimum frequency, peak frequency, total duration, and pulse duration, were also measured. These measurements indicated that breeding vocalizations of harbor seals near the Beardslee Islands of Glacier Bay National Park are similar in duration (average total duration: 4.8 s, average pulse duration: 3.0 s) to previously reported values from other populations, but are 170–220 Hz lower in average minimum frequency (78 Hz).