'Noisy' Perth Canyon Awash with Underwater Chorus
The Perth Canyon—the underwater chasm that is twice as deep as the Grand Canyon—is teeming with noises made by whales, fish, the weather and passing ships according to a long-running study.
Researchers used acoustic observatories more than 400m deep in the canyon, which is located off Rottnest Island, to monitor the marine soundscape over several years.
They found whale calls seasonally dominate sounds at low and mid-range frequencies, with pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda), fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus), Antarctic blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus intermedia), Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) and humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) all heard in the canyon.
Noisy Perth Canyon - Michelle Wheeler, Phys Org 16 June 2015