The value of bioacoustics for conservation strategies is growing. Acoustical tools have successfully been used to assess ecological population parameters as density and distribution of cetaceans. Studies investigating impacts of anthropogenic activities, such as ship traffic and whale watching activities, are fundamental to cetacean protection and may also focus on acoustics. Nevertheless, the applicability of bioacoustics in conservation depends on gathering baseline information about the natural variation in vocal behaviour of the target species.

Whales rely on acoustic signals for communication. Sounds produced by the southern right whale (SRW – Eubalaena australis) in South America were first described in the 1970’s and some behavioural aspects were investigated in the 1980’s. These are the only studies on the specie’s acoustic ecology in the region and an updated approach to investigate this important aspect of their ecology is due.

From May to December the Brazilian southern coast is an important wintering ground for the SWR. Aggregation sites are found off Santa Catarina state were a Marine Protected Area, the APA Baleia Franca, was created to protect the species. Commercial whaling during the 18th and the early 20th centuries severely depleted the SWR population in the region, and the numbers of right whales in Brazil are recovering over the past years. Nonetheless, protection measures must be in place to ensure long-term population health.

This project is the first initiative to investigate the acoustic ecology of E. australis in Brazil, despite the importance of the area as a winter ground for the species. Therefore, our main objective is to describe the species acoustic repertoire and link surface behaviour to sounds produced by groups of whales. We hope that our results will not only improve our scientific knowledge about the right whale communication system but also provide relevant data that will enable the use of passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) as a right whale conservation tool in Brazil.

Ongoing data collection by a team of biologists from the Laboratory of Bioacoustics of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (LaB/UFRN), Centro Mamíferos Aquáticos – Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (CMA/ICMBio), Projeto Baleia Franca (PBF) and volunteers and has received support from Rufford Small Grants Fundation, Cetacean Society international, ICMBio and from UFRN.