Investigating the soundscape ecology of Tremblay Sound, Nunavut
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The soundscape is a critical part of marine mammals’ habitat and provides insights into the health of the ecosystem. Arctic soundscapes are experiencing large changes due to reducing sea ice extent, shifting marine mammal distributions, and increased anthropogenic activity, including shipping traffic. As marine mammals rely on sound for communication, navigation, foraging, and detecting predators and prey, understanding how soundscapes are shifting is crucial to conserving arctic marine ecosystems. Soundscape ecology provides a non-invasive and cost-effective way to understand current arctic marine environments and how they are shifting over time. This study investigates the soundscape ecology of Tremblay Sound, Nunavut, an important summer habitat for narwhal located within the Tallurutiup Imanga National Marine Conservation Area. This study examined the seasonal patterns of the soundscape using passive acoustic recordings from July 2017 to July 2019. Sound pressure levels were highly tied to sea ice conditions with the quietest periods observed just after sea ice formation in Ukiaq (Fall) and just before sea ice breakup in Upirngaaq (Spring). In Ukiaq (Fall), Ukiuq (Winter), and Upirngassaaq (Early Spring) the soundscape is driven by tidal collisions of the land fast sea ice. Sound pressure levels were greatest during Aujaq (Summer). The Aujaq (Summer) season was investigated further using four hydrophone sites during the 2017 and 2018 summers. The Aujaq (Summer) soundscape is driven by geophony (e.g., wind speed, sea ice) and biophony from narwhal vocalizations. However, biophony contributions were lower in 2018 due to a dramatic decline in narwhal vocalizations, with vocalizations reaching 14,120 detections a day in 2017, compared to just 1,135 a day in 2018. In 2018, reduced narwhal sightings were reported by community members in Mittimatalik, suggesting potential shifts in narwhal habitat use. These findings provide essential benchmarks for future acoustic monitoring and highlight the need for further studies to understand how changing soundscapes may impact marine mammal behavior and habitat use amidst ongoing environmental shifts in the Arctic.