TY - JOUR
TI - Masking in Three Pinnipeds: Underwater, Low-Frequency Critical Ratios
AU - Southall, B
AU - Schusterman, R
AU - Kastak, D
T2 - Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
AB - Behavioral techniques were used to determine underwater masked hearing thresholds for a northern elephant seal (Mirounga angustirostris), a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina), and a California sea lion (Zalophus californianus). Octave-band white noise maskers were centered at five test frequencies ranging from 200 to 2500 Hz; a slightly wider noise band was used for testing at 100 Hz. Critical ratios were calculated at one masking noise level for each test frequency. Above 200 Hz, critical ratios increased with frequency. This pattern is similar to that observed in most animals tested, and indicates that these pinnipeds lack specializations for detecting low-frequency tonal sounds in noise. However, the individual pinnipeds in this study, particularly the northern elephant seal, detected signals at relatively low signal-to-noise ratios. These results provide a means of estimating zones of auditory masking for pinnipeds exposed to anthropogenic noise sources.
DA - 2000/06//
PY - 2000
VL - 108
IS - 3
SP - 1322
EP - 1326
UR - http://scitation.aip.org/content/asa/journal/jasa/108/3/10.1121/1.1288409
DO - 10.1121/1.1288409
LA - English
KW - Noise
KW - Pinnipeds
KW - Marine Mammals
ER -