Seasonal and interannual patterns in the presence of harbour porpoises ( Phocoena phocoena ) in Belgian waters from 2010 to 2015 as derived from passive acoustic monitoring

The harbour porpoise ( Phocoena phocoena ) is the most abundant cetacean in the Belgian part of the North Sea. We developed a mooring system for static passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) of this species using c-PoDs at locations of opportunity. Data of moorings between 2010 and 2015 at two locations were analysed. They revealed a significant seasonal trend in detections, assessed by month, with peaks in late winter - early spring and late summer, consistent with the results of aerial surveys and with strandings data. At one location there were significant differences in detections between years... Mehr ...