Scientists discovered mysterious conversations in the ocean 15:36

Researchers have recorded mysterious sounds coming from the depths of the ocean in the waters around Antarctica. Known as Bio-Duck, these sounds resemble the quacking sound of a duck but are much louder and more mysterious. Analysis of the recordings showed that the sounds were not chaotic, but more like a dialogue between various sources. The study was presented at the 187th meeting Acoustical Society of America..

Bio-Duck was first recorded in 1960, but the nature of the sound remained a mystery for decades. Scientists linked these sounds to Antarctic minke whales (Balaenoptera bonaerensis) in 2014, using special tags to track the whales’ behavior.

However, this explanation does not fully solve the mystery. The fact that similar sounds recorded in other oceans around Australia and New Zealand have not yet been clearly associated with whales reveals the possibility of other marine creatures making the same sounds.

“We found that the voices were coming from several different sources and appeared to be communicating,” said Russ Ross Chapman, one of the study’s co-authors. — When one source “spoke,” the others remained silent, as if listening. Then the first one fell silent, giving the others the opportunity to respond.”

Bio-Duck’s sounds are strictly periodic, so at first scientists doubted their biological nature. However, further analysis showed that they came from living things.

The purpose of the “talk” remains a mystery. Scientists think the sounds may be related to foraging, communication between parents and young, or even warnings about the proximity of marine vessels.

Scientists plan to continue exploring this acoustic mystery to better understand the nature and purposes of sounds. This will help better understand the communication of aquatic creatures and other aspects of the marine ecosystem.

Previous scientists discovered “Dark genes” in human DNA.