Bryde s whale foraging behaviour, habitat use and acoustics: a living platform to understand anthropogenic impacts on marine wildlife

In Cabo Frio, increased prey concentration resulting from upwelling attracts numerous Bryde's whales close to shore, where they simultaneously feed and breed, in contrast with most other baleen whales, who accumulate nutrients before reaching the breeding grounds. By deploying non-invasive multi-sensor camera tags on individual whales, we will get the first insights on their underwater feeding techniques and the associated energetic costs, investigate whether individuals use acoustic cues while foraging, and obtain video recording of prey items. These baseline data will help answering three overarching questions about whether and how human activities: a) affect foraging-associated diving/surface behaviour: b) overlap with whales' habitat use: c) alter the whales' acoustic communication.