listen now
Whistles, Screeches, and Creaks, courtesy of Dr. Sue Moore
- Bowhead Whale (.wav)
- Killer Whales (.wav)
- Sperm Whale (.wav)
- Walrus (.wav)
- Bearded Seal (.wav)
Sounds of the Bering Sea 2008
Why listen to the animals?
Technology allows us an incredible opportunity to hear otherworldly sounds coming from the depths of our oceans.
Listening to underwater noises made by marine mammals also lets us:
- identify animals such as gray whales, bowhead whales, walruses, bearded seals, ringed seals, and ribbon seals.
- detect any sound patterns that would give us clues to their behavior
- detect ambient background noise
- record the acoustics for further analysis to differentiate the number of individuals relative to numbers seen during observations.
The BSIERP project Whale Broad-Scale Distribution aims to assess the distribution and estimate abundance of large baleen whales (fin and humpback). This information will be incorporated into a model that researchers hope will be able to estimate trends in whale distribution and abundance.
Above: Bering Sea Project scientist Dr. Sue Moore uses a hydrophone to listen in on sounds from the deep. (Christian Morel/Our Polar Heritage)
The BEST-BSIERP Bering Sea Project is a six-year study of the Bering Sea ecosystem,
from the benthos and the atmosphere to human communities, and everything in between.
NORTH PACIFIC RESEARCH BOARD 
NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Contact the BEST-BSIERP Program Manager with project-related questions.
Contact the Multimedia Coordinator with website-related questions.
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