Whales Mistake Plastic Trash for Food Due to Similar Sound Signatures

In the depths of the ocean, where sunlight doesn’t reach, whales rely heavily on sound to hunt. But new research suggests that deep-diving whales may be confusing plastic waste with their natural prey, leading them to consume harmful debris. The study, led by Duke University graduate student Greg Merrill, revealed that plastic items such as balloons and shopping bags give off sound signatures that resemble the echoes of whale prey, like squid.

“These acoustic signatures are similar, and this might be a reason that these animals are driven to consume plastic instead of, or in addition to, their prey,” explained Merrill, whose findings were published in Marine Pollution Bulletin. The research highlights that all types of plastic tested either matched or exceeded the acoustic target strengths of whale prey, adding to the problem of plastic Pollution in the ocean.

Whales such as sperm whales and pygmy sperm whales hunt by sending out clicks and buzzes from a specialized structure near their blowholes. The sound waves are projected into the water through an oil-filled area known as the “melon.” As the sounds bounce off objects, they return to the whales’ sensitive fat-filled jaw structures, sending signals to their brains to identify potential food sources. This echolocation technique has served these marine mammals well for millions of years. However, with the increasing presence of plastic in the ocean, this method of hunting is being disrupted.

The study took a hands-on approach, gathering plastic debris like bags and balloons from North Carolina beaches to test their acoustic signatures. These items, often found in the stomachs of stranded whales, were submerged in water and tested using sonar frequencies that mimic the echolocation clicks of various whale species. The researchers found that plastic fragments, especially films, closely resemble the echoes of real prey, such as squid, which were also tested for comparison.

“There are hundreds of types of plastic, and the various material properties including polymer (chemical) composition, additives, shape, size, age/weathering, and degree of fouling likely play a role in the frequency-specific responses observed,” the researchers noted.

While the findings raise concerns about how whales identify food, Merrill pointed out that re-engineering plastics to be “invisible” to sonar might not be a viable solution. “If fishing net and fishing line are invisible, those are things that whales get entangled with, too. So we don’t want them to not be able to identify those things,” he added.

Merrill’s research was conducted in collaboration with scientists from marine labs at NOAA, NC State University, and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Their work underscores the growing impact of plastic Pollution on marine life and highlights the need for more research into solutions that could help protect these vital ocean species from further harm.

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