Predicting mesoscale movement of sperm whale units in the Caribbean based on social dynamics.

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Main Authors: Mevorach, Yaly, Maalouf, Alaa, Gubnitsky, Guy, Tønnesen, Pernille, Gruber, David F, Rus, Daniela, Tchernov, Dan, Gero, Shane
Format: Artículo científico
Language:en
Published: Scientific reports 2025
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author Mevorach, Yaly
Maalouf, Alaa
Gubnitsky, Guy
Tønnesen, Pernille
Gruber, David F
Rus, Daniela
Tchernov, Dan
Gero, Shane
author_facet Mevorach, Yaly
Maalouf, Alaa
Gubnitsky, Guy
Tønnesen, Pernille
Gruber, David F
Rus, Daniela
Tchernov, Dan
Gero, Shane
Mevorach, Yaly
Maalouf, Alaa
Gubnitsky, Guy
Tønnesen, Pernille
Gruber, David F
Rus, Daniela
Tchernov, Dan
Gero, Shane
collection PubMed - marine biology
contents Predicting mesoscale movement of sperm whale units in the Caribbean based on social dynamics. Mevorach, Yaly Maalouf, Alaa Gubnitsky, Guy Tønnesen, Pernille Gruber, David F Rus, Daniela Tchernov, Dan Gero, Shane Animals Sperm Whale Male Social Behavior Female Vocalization, Animal Caribbean Region Echolocation Acoustics Group Dynamics Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) navigate complex oceanic environments and social structures. In the waters off Dominica, female and juvenile whales form long-lasting social units and vocal clans, distinguished by unique click dialects known as codas. While prey availability is often seen as a driver of whale movements, we highlight the role of sociality in shaping spatial behavior. Using 20 years of photo-identification data, we examined the sequential presence of social units for predictable patterns linked to social structure. Applying long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to sequences of one to five days across 16 states including 14 units, mature males and unknown units, we achieved prediction accuracies over 60%, far exceeding random chance (0.00001526). We then compared unit-to-unit transition probabilities to their social association matrix using a Hemelrijk test, revealing strong alignment between movement and social bonds for some of the units. To support long-term monitoring, we developed an acoustic classification method based on inter-pulse intervals (IPIs) in echolocation clicks, serving as acoustic fingerprints linked to body size. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) classified units with 78.26% accuracy. Our findings provide quantitative evidence that sperm whale movements are socially coordinated and predictable, offering new insights into the spatial and social dynamics of sperm whale societies and highlighting the role of social affiliation in shaping large-scale movement patterns.
format Artículo científico
id pubmed_41203697
institution PubMed
language en
publishDate 2025
publisher Scientific reports
record_format pubmed
spellingShingle Predicting mesoscale movement of sperm whale units in the Caribbean based on social dynamics.
Mevorach, Yaly
Maalouf, Alaa
Gubnitsky, Guy
Tønnesen, Pernille
Gruber, David F
Rus, Daniela
Tchernov, Dan
Gero, Shane
Animals
Sperm Whale
Male
Social Behavior
Female
Vocalization, Animal
Caribbean Region
Echolocation
Acoustics
Group Dynamics
Predicting mesoscale movement of sperm whale units in the Caribbean based on social dynamics. Mevorach, Yaly Maalouf, Alaa Gubnitsky, Guy Tønnesen, Pernille Gruber, David F Rus, Daniela Tchernov, Dan Gero, Shane Animals Sperm Whale Male Social Behavior Female Vocalization, Animal Caribbean Region Echolocation Acoustics Group Dynamics Sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) navigate complex oceanic environments and social structures. In the waters off Dominica, female and juvenile whales form long-lasting social units and vocal clans, distinguished by unique click dialects known as codas. While prey availability is often seen as a driver of whale movements, we highlight the role of sociality in shaping spatial behavior. Using 20 years of photo-identification data, we examined the sequential presence of social units for predictable patterns linked to social structure. Applying long short-term memory (LSTM) neural networks to sequences of one to five days across 16 states including 14 units, mature males and unknown units, we achieved prediction accuracies over 60%, far exceeding random chance (0.00001526). We then compared unit-to-unit transition probabilities to their social association matrix using a Hemelrijk test, revealing strong alignment between movement and social bonds for some of the units. To support long-term monitoring, we developed an acoustic classification method based on inter-pulse intervals (IPIs) in echolocation clicks, serving as acoustic fingerprints linked to body size. Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) classified units with 78.26% accuracy. Our findings provide quantitative evidence that sperm whale movements are socially coordinated and predictable, offering new insights into the spatial and social dynamics of sperm whale societies and highlighting the role of social affiliation in shaping large-scale movement patterns.
title Predicting mesoscale movement of sperm whale units in the Caribbean based on social dynamics.
topic Animals
Sperm Whale
Male
Social Behavior
Female
Vocalization, Animal
Caribbean Region
Echolocation
Acoustics
Group Dynamics
url https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41203697/