Acoustic sensors enable efficient and non-invasive monitoring of a wide range of species, including many that are difficult to monitor in other ways. Although they were initially limited in application scope largely due to cost and hardware constraints, the development of low-cost, open-source models like the Audiomoth in recent years has increased access immensely and opened up new avenues of research. For example, some teams are using them to identify illicit human activities through the detection of associated sounds, like gunshots, vehicles, or chainsaws (e.g. OpenEars).
With this relatively novel dimension of wildlife monitoring rapidly advancing in both marine and terrestrial systems, it is crucial that we identify and share information about the utility and constraints of these sensors to inform efforts. A recent study identified advancements in hardware and machine learning applications, as well as early development of acoustic biodiversity indicators, as factors facilitating progress in the field. In terms of limitations, the authors highlight insufficient reference sound libraries, a lack of open-source audio processing tools, and a need for standardization of survey and analysis protocols. They also stress the importance of collaboration in moving forward, which is precisely what this group will aim to facilitate.
If you're new to acoustic monitoring and want to get up to speed on the basics, check out these beginner's resources and conversations from across the WILDLABS platform:
Three Resources for Beginners:
- Listening to Nature: The Emerging Field of Bioacoustics, Adam Welz
- Ecoacoustics and Biodiversity Monitoring, RSEC Journal
- Monitoring Ecosystems through Sound: The Present and Future of Passive Acoustics, Ella Browning and Rory Gibb
Three Forum Threads for Beginners:
- AudioMoth user guide | Tessa Rhinehart
- Audiomoth and Natterjack Monitoring (UK) | Stuart Newson
- Help with analysing bat recordings from Audiomoth | Carlos Abrahams
Three Tutorials for Beginners:
- "How do I perform automated recordings of bird assemblages?" | Carlos Abrahams, Tech Tutors
- "How do I scale up acoustic surveys with Audiomoths and automated processing?" | Tessa Rhinehart, Tech Tutors
- Acoustic Monitoring | David Watson, Ruby Lee, Andy Hill, and Dimitri Ponirakis, Virtual Meetups
Want to know more about acoustic monitoring and learn from experts in the WILDLABS community? Jump into the discussion in our Acoustic Monitoring group!
Header image: Carly Batist
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Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI) & SENSR
We track changes in wildlife and their habitats in Alberta, working collaboratively to provide ongoing, relevant, scientifically credible information.
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Holder of BSc in Applied Zoology. Assistant Ecologist at Ruaha National park.
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- @Martincho
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Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA)
Postdoc at Instituto de Ecorregiones Andinas (INECOA - Jujuy National University - CONICET).
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University of Zurich
PhD student at the University of Zürich (CH) in PopEcol group, working with camera traps and mammals
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- @fsattar
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Farook Sattar received his Technical Licentiate and PhD degrees from Lund University, Sweden. He obtained his B.Eng and M.Eng degrees from Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), Dhaka in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.
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University of Antwerp
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- @sarah_dalrymple
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Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)
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British Trust for Ornithology (BTO)
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- @andrew-1234
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PhD in Ecology; I like software development, and working with spatial and acoustic methods applied to species monitoring and research.
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St. Lawrence University
Professor of Biology at St. Lawrence University
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| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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| My name is Frank Short and I am a PhD Candidate at Boston University in Biological Anthropology. I am currently doing fieldwork in Indonesia using machine-learning powered passive... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Data Management & Mobilisation, Early Career, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Protected Area Management Tools, Software Development | 3 months 2 weeks ago | |
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Latin America Community, Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Drones, Early Career | 3 months 3 weeks ago | ||
| There are a lot of parameters in principle here. The size of the battery. How much time in the field is acceptable before a visit? Once a week? Once a month? How many devices you... |
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Acoustics | 3 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Tom! I think the furry windjammer must be outside the casing to have the desired effect. It can be a bit tricky having this nice furry material that birds and other critters... |
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Acoustics | 3 months 4 weeks ago | |
| Hi Lana,"similar field setup" means that the vocalizing animal should be surrounded by the recorders and you should have at least 4 audiomoths recording the same sound, then the... |
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Acoustics | 3 months 4 weeks ago | |
| New stable release : v1.5.1We are pleased to announce the latest release with several important enhancement, fixes and documentation improvements to ensure compatibility with the... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 4 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hello everyone,Thank you all for your contribution!You can read some updates about this project in this post.Julia |
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Acoustics, Community Base, Data Management & Mobilisation, Open Source Solutions | 4 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi all, I'm Vainqueur BULAMBO. I'm looking for a fully funded PhD opportunity in ecological data science or conservation... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects | 4 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Really looking forward to following this project. I'm very curious how you'll be able to tease out different species, particularly among species that feature a variety of worker... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation | 5 months ago | |
| Yep see you on friday |
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Geospatial, Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Community Base, Data Management & Mobilisation, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools | 5 months ago | |
| Hi Danielle, A friend of mine was having a fellowship at K Lisa Yang Center and she successfully built a classifier for Javan Slow Loris. So far I only heard she only made... |
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Acoustics | 5 months 1 week ago | |
| Thank you so much! This is super helpful and I really appreciate the feedback! |
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Acoustics, Data Management & Mobilisation | 5 months 2 weeks ago |
