Research

• Acoustic Characteristics of Low-Frequency Vocalizations of Bryde's Whales (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) in the Weizhou Island Waters of the Beibu Gulf, China

  Bryde's whales (Balaenoptera edeni edeni) are nationally protected in China, and the waters around Weizhou Island in the Beibu Gulf support one of the country's few regularly observed coastal groups. However, acoustic data for this population remain limited, and the potential effects of local vessel noise are poorly described. We conducted 16 vessel-based surveys around Weizhou Island and adjacent waters in January 2024 using a low-disturbance sailboat platform and passive acoustic recorders, with concurrent visual observations where possible. We identified 734 low-frequency signals classified as putative Bryde's whale vocalizations and quantified their temporal and spectral parameters. Call duration was significantly negatively correlated with maximum frequency and center frequency, but not with minimum frequency or bandwidth. Comparisons with published records indicate that the recorded signals are most similar to vocalizations previously reported from juvenile Bryde's whales or mother-calf pairs, although individual source attribution could not be confirmed. Speedboat passage significantly increased root-mean-square sound pressure levels, and the dominant noise band overlapped the frequency range of the recorded Bryde's whale signals, indicating potential for acoustic masking. These results expand the bioacoustic baseline for Bryde's whales in Chinese coastal waters and provide evidence relevant to the management of vessel activity and whale-watching tourism around Weizhou Island.

• A Song For Love: An Ape with An App

  A Song For Love: An Ape with An App is a nature documentary co-directed by Chen Yizhi and Ding Quan, produced by Binfan Nature (Beijing) Culture Media Co., Ltd. in collaboration with institutions including Bilibili. Filming began in 2016 and was completed over the course of four years. The film is part of the “China Ape Imaging Conservation Project” series. Guided by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, it focuses on the Skywalker Hoolock Gibbon in the Gaoligong Mountains of Yunnan—a newly identified ape species named by scientists in China, with an estimated population of only around 150 individuals remaining.