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Once-secret military microphones that used to listen for submarines are now providing top-quality acoustic data for more peaceful purposes. Scientists are listening to whales, tracking fish, and even measuring global temperature changes using sound. Sound waves move slightly faster in warm water than in cold water -- so by measuring the time it takes sound to travel underwater between two points, scientists can figure out the average temperature along that path. The project, called ATOC (Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate), can measure temperatures to within 0.01 degrees C. Some people have criticized the project, claiming that the noises it uses may be harmful to marine life, although the scientists involved say that such fears are unwarranted. We'll find out more. We'll also find out what whale songs might be telling us. And we'll find out how scientists are counting and tracking fish populations just by listening to the sounds they make. Do whales got rhythm? What noises do fish make? On this hour of Science Friday, join guest host David Baron for a listen to the sounds of the deep.
Guests: Christopher Clark Joseph Luczkovich Books/Articles Discussed: "Using Sound to Map Fish Spawning: Determining the Seasonality and Location of Spawning by fishes in the Family Sciandiae (Seatrouts, Drums and Croakers) Within Pamlico Sound, NC" by Joeseph Luczkovich, Mark W. Sprague and Stephen Johnson. ICA/ASA Lay Language Papaer, 1998. "Using Fish Sounds to Identify Spawning Activity of Weakfish (Cynoscion regalis) and Red Drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) in Nature," by Joeseph Luczkovich, Mark W. Sprague and Stephen Johnson. ICA/ASA Lay Language Papaer, 1998. Related Links: |
