Hearing tests for cetaceans

[Dave Houston]

First Portable System Enabling In Situ Detection Of Cetacean Hearing Loss Developed

ScienceDaily (Dec. 17, 2008) — A research project led by Michel André, director of the Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics at the UPC (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) has developed the world’s first portable system for measuring cetacean hearing sensitivity.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081217095602.htm

The article suggests that where human activities are suspected to have played a part in the stranding (sonar tests, oil exploration etc) a hearing test could determine if there was hearing loss and presumable the chances of the animals survival.