Dear MARMAM readers, My co-authors and I would like to announce our recent publication in The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, available in early view online: Liangliang Yang, Xiaomei Xu, Peijun Zhang, Bing Li & Per Berggren. 2017. Classification of underwater vocalizations of wild spotted seals (Phoca largha) in Liaodong Bay, China. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 141(3): 2256–2262. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4979056] Abstract: Underwater vocalizations were recorded and classified from wild spotted seals (Phoca largha) in Liaodong Bay, China. The spotted seals exhibited an extensive underwater vocal repertoire but with limited complexity. Four major call types, representing 77.8% of all calls recorded, were identified using multivariate analyses of ten acoustic parameters; knock, growl, drum, and sweep. The calls were relatively brief (12–270 ms, mean of −10 dB duration) pulsating sounds of low-frequency (peak frequency <600 Hz) and narrow bandwidth (169–232 Hz, mean of −3 dB bandwidth; 237–435 Hz, mean of −6 dB bandwidth). Frequency variables (−3/−6 dB frequency bandwidth, center frequency, and top three peak frequencies) were the primary descriptors used to differentiate the call types. Comparing the spotted seal underwater vocalizations with those of the closely related Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) indicated that the two species use similar bandwidths and peak frequencies but spotted seal calls were generally shorter. Knowledge of underwater vocalizations of wild spotted seals is important for understanding the species behavior and for planning future acoustic surveys of its distribution and occurrence. For more information or a pdf copy please email: yllxmu@gmail.com Thank you, Liangliang Yang College of Ocean and Earth Sciences, Xiamen University, China Present address: School of Marine Science and Technology, Marine Megafauna Lab, Newcastle University, UK