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FAQ
FAQ Page
What kind of whales will I hear in the recordings?
The California Current is home to many species of whales and dolphins including, but not limited to:
- Humpback whales
- Blue whales
- Fin whales
- Minke whales
- Common dolphins
- Bottlenose dolphins
- Risso's dolphins
- Pacific white-sided dolphins
- Killer whales
- Harbor porpoises
- Dall's porpoises
- Sperm whales
- Cuvier's beaked whales
- Baird's beaked whales
Be sure to check out the field guide on the right for example sounds from some of these species.
Where did the recordings come from?
The recordings were recorded using a hydrophone, which is an underwater microphone. The hydrophones are attached to drifting buoys that float with ocean currents and record a wide range of sounds from marine mammals, fish, and human activities. After 30 days at sea, ADRIFT researchers recover the buoys and upload the data where it could be processed. If you want a more in depth explanation about our research, check out the Research Page!
What happens to the data after I answer the questions?
Your answers are used to track the presence of marine mammals and human activities in the California Current. Scientists will also use labeled data to train and improve models to automatically recognize the different types of sounds. This information will eventually be used to inform the planning and management of offshore wind farms, shipping lanes and protected areas.
How can I tell the difference between ship noise and whale sounds?
Great question. It can seem intimidating when you start, but luckily there are multiple ways to tell them apart. Ship noise can include a constant tones or humming, as well as impulsive mechanical noise. Whale sounds are much more variable and can include a variety of moans, grunts, and squeals. We recommend you start by checking out the Field Guide. This will help you start to familiarize yourself with the sounds of the sea.
Can you tell me more about the colorful image that appears with the sound clips?
Those are called spectrograms, a visual representation of sound, with time on the x-axis and frequency (pitch of the sound) on the y-axis. The different colors reflect how loud the sounds are at different time and frequencies.
I think I made a mistake in a previous dataset. Can I go back and change my answer?
Unfortunately, we cannot go back and fix a mistake. Don’t worry though! Each dataset is looked at by multiple volunteers to account for human error.
Where can I learn more bioacoustics
Be sure to check out our Education page. We have resources for educators, students, and links to interactive spectrograms.
More Online Resources