DOI: 10.5061/dryad.nzs7h450t
title: Data from: Climatic and economic fluctuations revealed by decadal ocean soundscapes

description: Decadal variations of ocean soundscapes are intricately linked to
 large-scale climatic and economic fluctuations. This study draws on over
 15 years of acoustic recordings at six sites within the Southern
 California Bight, investigating interannual, seasonal, and diel
 variations. By examining acoustic energy from fin and blue whales and
 ambient sound from ships and wind, we identified changes in the soundscape
 over time and space. This study reveals that sound levels associated with
 both biological and non-biological sound sources varied seasonally and
 correlated with large-scale climatic patterns and long-term oceanographic
 fluctuations. Baleen whale sound levels before, during, and after a marine
 heatwave were assessed; sound levels decreased in southern sites and
 increased in northern sites adjacent to the California Current,
 underscoring the potential for range shifts and habitat compression during
 warm years for these species. Ship-generated sound levels at high-traffic
 sites reflected economic events such as recessions, labor shortages and
 negotiations, and changes to port activities. Marine soundscapes offer an
 approach to assess the ocean's condition amid ongoing climatic and
 economic fluctuations.
description: # **Climatic and economic fluctuations revealed by decadal ocean
 soundscapes** Vanessa M. ZoBell, Natalie Posdaljian, Kieran L. Lenssen,
 Sean M. Wiggins, John A. Hildebrand, Simone Baumann-Pickering, Kaitlin E.
 Frasier Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San
 Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.nzs7h450t](10.5061/dryad.nzs7h450t) ## Description of the
 data and file structure This dataset supports the study of long-term
 changes in biological and non-biological sound levels in the Southern
 California Bight. The data includes daily median sound levels associated
 with fin whales, blue whales, ships, and wind are included at 6 study
 sites. The unit of sound pressure level (SPL) is dB re 1 *μ*Pa2. ### Files
 and variables #### File: siteN.csv **Description:** Daily median sound
 pressure levels for fin whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site
 N. Nominal site location and depth can be found within the manuscript
 (Table 1). NaN values indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables * site:
 site name * year: Year of SPL measurement * month: Month of SPL
 measurement * day: Day of SPL measurement * Fin: Fin whale associated
 daily median sound pressure level.  * Blue: Blue whale-associated daily
 median sound pressure level.  * Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  * Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure
 level.  #### File: siteSN.csv **Description:** Daily median sound pressure
 levels for fin whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site SN.
 Nominal site location and depth can be found within the manuscript (Table
 1). NaN values indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables * site: site
 name - year: Year of SPL measurement - month: Month of SPL measurement -
 day: Day of SPL measurement - Fin: Fin whale associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  - Blue: Blue whale-associated daily median sound pressure
 level.  - Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound pressure level.  -
 Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure level.  #### File:
 siteC.csv **Description:** Daily median sound pressure levels for fin
 whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site C. Nominal site location
 and depth can be found within the manuscript (Table 1). NaN values
 indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables * site: site name * site:
 site name * year: Year of SPL measurement * month: Month of SPL
 measurement * day: Day of SPL measurement * Fin: Fin whale associated
 daily median sound pressure level.  * Blue: Blue whale-associated daily
 median sound pressure level.  * Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  * Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure
 level.  #### File: siteE.csv **Description:** Daily median sound pressure
 levels for fin whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site E.
 Nominal site location and depth can be found within the manuscript (Table
 1). NaN values indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables #### site:
 site name * year: Year of SPL measurement * month: Month of SPL
 measurement * day: Day of SPL measurement * Fin: Fin whale associated
 daily median sound pressure level.  * Blue: Blue whale-associated daily
 median sound pressure level.  * Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  * Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure
 level.  #### **File: siteH.csv** **Description:** Daily median sound
 pressure levels for fin whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site
 H. Nominal site location and depth can be found within the manuscript
 (Table 1). NaN values indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables ####
 site: site name * year: Year of SPL measurement * month: Month of SPL
 measurement * day: Day of SPL measurement * Fin: Fin whale associated
 daily median sound pressure level.  * Blue: Blue whale-associated daily
 median sound pressure level.  * Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  * Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure
 level.  #### **File: siteB.csv** **Description:** Daily median sound
 pressure levels for fin whales, blue whales, ship noise, and wind at Site
 B. Nominal site location and depth can be found within the manuscript
 (Table 1). NaN values indicate days with no data.  ##### Variables * site:
 site name * year: Year of SPL measurement * month: Month of SPL
 measurement * day: Day of SPL measurement * Fin: Fin whale associated
 daily median sound pressure level.  * Blue: Blue whale-associated daily
 median sound pressure level.  * Ship: Ship-associated daily median sound
 pressure level.  * Wind: Wind associated daily median sound pressure
 level.