par Mitchell, Laetitia 
Président du jury Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid
Promoteur Kochzius, Marc
Co-Promoteur De Weerdt, Joëlle
Publication Non publié, 2022-06-24
Président du jury Dahdouh-Guebas, Farid
Promoteur Kochzius, Marc
Co-Promoteur De Weerdt, Joëlle
Publication Non publié, 2022-06-24
Mémoire
| Résumé : | The humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) is a migratory species composed ofdifferent populations present in all oceans. Understanding the connectivity or in other wordsthe genetic link between these populations is of major importance to conserve this keyspecies for marine ecosystems. During the breeding season, males create a unique andcomplex sequence of sounds called a song. By comparing songs produced by males fromdifferent populations, connectivity between these populations can be investigated. InCentral America, two populations migrate toward same breeding grounds at different timesof the year : the Central American population and the Breeding Stock G. Songs of humpbackwhales from the two populations were recorded during boat-based surveys off the Pacificcoast of Nicaragua during the two breeding seasons of the year 2021. We investigated herethe structure of two songs to determine similarities and differences. We performed aqualitative analysis followed by quantitative analysis of both song structures. Two themeswere qualitatively identified and are potentially similar between the songs of bothpopulations. These shared song structure elements suggest the existence of acousticinteraction between at least some individuals. The acoustic interaction between individualsof two populations can involve the integration of song elements from one population intothe song of the other population by the process of learning. Potential populationconnectivity is therefore demonstrated to occur in the Central American breeding grounds.Additional and complementary research could validate the connectivity between bothpopulations, which would justify the need for adapted conservation strategy. |
