Sat Nov 23 15:35:00 UTC 2024: ## Minke Whales’ Surprising High-Frequency Hearing Could Reshape Ocean Noise Regulations
**Bengaluru, India (November 24, 2024)** – A groundbreaking study has revealed that minke whales, a type of baleen whale, can hear significantly higher frequencies than previously thought, potentially altering our understanding of the impact of human-made ocean noise on these massive marine mammals. Researchers, for the first time, directly measured the hearing range of minke whales, discovering they can detect sounds up to 90 kilohertz (kHz).
This finding challenges the long-held assumption that baleen whales are solely low-frequency hearers. The study, published [Date of publication omitted for brevity], employed a novel catch-and-release method involving auditory evoked potential (AEP) tests on adolescent minke whales in Norway. The results showed the whales could perceive sounds in the 45-90 kHz range, far exceeding previous estimates based on their ear anatomy and vocalizations.
The implications are significant. The higher-than-expected hearing range suggests baleen whales, the largest animals on Earth, may be far more vulnerable to the effects of anthropogenic (human-caused) ocean noise – including sonar – than currently acknowledged. This could necessitate a reevaluation of existing regulations designed to protect marine mammals from noise pollution. While efforts have been made to establish noise impact thresholds, difficulties arise from the varied and poorly understood responses of different marine mammal species. This new research provides crucial audiogram data – essential for accurate impact assessments – for a species previously lacking such information. The study highlights the need for broader consideration of baleen whale hearing sensitivities in marine conservation efforts.
First Piper 