28 August 2024: New study on the High Arctic “hotspots” for sperm whales off western and northern Svalbard, Norway

A new study by Pöyhönen and colleagues dives into the fine-scale distribution and seasonal presence of sperm whales at high latitudes. The study titled: “High Arctic “hotspots” for sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) off western and northern Svalbard, Norway, revealed by multi‑year Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM)” was published in March 2024 in the Scientific Reports. To study the distribution of sperm whales in the area the researchers used eight passive acoustic monitoring sites around the Svalbard archipelago. They discovered that sperm whales were present at six out of the eight acoustic sites. There were some variations in the recordings between years and locations. Whales were more present at lower latitudes in the study area, with “hotspots” in ice-free areas, but even the northern-most location (at 81° N) recorded sperm whale vocal activity.

If you would like to read the whole study by Pöyhönen et al., you can do so here: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-56287-9.

Photo credit: NOAA Fisheries/Tim Cole