marine mammal communication
muh-REEN MAM-ul kuh-myoo-nih-KAY-shun
məˈriːn ˈmæməl kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃənListen
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the diverse systems of acoustic, tactile, visual, and chemical signals used by whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals, sea lions, and other marine mammals to coordinate social behaviour, establish and maintain bonds, navigate, locate prey, and defend territory in an aquatic environment where sound travels far more effectively than light; cetacean communication systems range from the complex song of humpback whales, which changes progressively across populations in patterns resembling cultural transmission, to the sophisticated echolocation clicks of dolphins and toothed whales used for precise spatial mapping and prey detection; bottlenose dolphins have signature whistles functioning as individual names, and research on sperm whale codas has revealed culturally transmitted dialects distinguishing different clan groups across ocean basins
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