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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!

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@diego_lizcano
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Wildlife biologist interested in biodiversity monitoring and the conservation of mammals. Passionate photographer.

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@ecosystem2
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@Van_Gils

wildlife crime WWF-NL

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@leonardoviotti

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@sruizguz
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Laboratory research technician at the Kitzes lab - University of Pittsburgh. My research focuses on acoustic monitoring for ecology and conservation.

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@jenlaw
| She/Her

Biodiversity scientist specialising specialising in the study of tropical ecosystems and their biodiversity using multiple forms of technology, including acoustics, images and robotics.

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@dieagomezmor
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Master in biology with a background in GIS, bioacoustics and soundscape ecology.

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@kindraswari

The University of Queensland

Passionate about using technology and data to solve conservation issues.

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@ldbraunholtz
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(Tropical) forest ecologist w interest: biodiversity, camera traps, community led conservation & more. Passionate about inclusive nature for all.

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@jscanass
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University College London (UCL) & Red Ecoacústica Colombiana

PhD Student at UCL

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@Gathoni
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PhD Candidate at Nottingham Trent University, UK. Ecologist with a passion for wildlife conservation and conservation technology with foundational training in BSc and MSc Rangeland Management (Ecology option). Current project: Use of acoustics to monitor ecosystem restoration.

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@Nick_Tregenza

Develops acoustics for cetacean and bat monitoring: F-POD, C-POD, BatBug

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Description	Activity	Replies	Groups	Updated
unsupervised machine learning to infer syntax and temporal organisations of animal vocalizations	Super interesting work! Maybe one day you will also be able to have a career as a science fiction writer. Lot of interesting outcomes can come of this. ❤️		Acoustics, Data Management & Mobilisation, Early Career	9 months ago
New model for Europe - AvesEcho	It's still a bit early days. For nocturnal flight calls (which are the majority of the mysteries) the recordings are generally of poor quality and the model doesn't find anything...		Acoustics	9 months ago
Winterproofing SongMeters	I think lithium AAs would be ideal, but since it's not likely to be super cold I think you could get away with Alkaline if you're ok with somewhat reduced runtimes.		Acoustics	9 months ago
Help us test PAMGuard for macOS	Hi WILDLABSWe have been working on a macOS version of PAMGuard and it would be great if some folk here in the community would like to give...		Acoustics, Software Development	9 months 1 week ago
Owl Sense Audio Recorders	The figures come very close to the primo mic. When I looked into this a couple of years ago I don’t recall seeing one come this close.		Acoustics	9 months 1 week ago
+1 Q&A - AI for Conservation Office Hours 2025	This is a thread for anyone who has questions about AI for Conservation Office Hours 2025.We're once again teaming up with Dan Morris from...		Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Community Base, Geospatial	9 months 1 week ago
Frontier Labs BAR-LT Localization Firmware	Okay, super! Really nice thread you started. It’s great to get these insights.With my own experiments, as you mentioned, accuracy is very good within the polygons. But in addition...		Acoustics	9 months 1 week ago
Collar Automatic Release Mechanisms	The PCB mount terminals are actually quite robust and paired with a lock washer and something that would better secure the nylon (e.g., a piece of flat grooved plastic to add...		Acoustics, Conservation Dogs, Sensors	9 months 2 weeks ago
HELP! USB device code, not recognised by Android	I guess, you know USB digital audio \| Android Open Source Project. from which I conclude it should be possible, however, my Android experience is also zero.		Acoustics	9 months 2 weeks ago
New "pipistrelle mini" on its way	PCBs back, working great but right now a custom firmware build ("force_27"), need to make sure all is well with the standard build. This of course a non-switch version.		Acoustics	9 months 3 weeks ago
Recycled & DIY Remote Monitoring Buoy	Hi Brett, I am interested in developing really low cost multi channel underwater acoustic recorders. Can you tell me a bit more about the board and stuff you were using...		Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Acoustics, Camera Traps, Climate Change, East Africa Community, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools	10 months ago
WILDLABS AWARDS 2024 - Developing AudioMoth for the detection of infrasonic elephant rumbles	These would be infrasound, so no the sealed volume doesn't need to be buried. It only needs to be a few cc total volume for a single element. I found an old poster...	+12	Acoustics	10 months 1 week ago