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
- @Antonio.A.Ferraz
- | him
Scientist interested in integrating remotely sensed habitat characterization with animal movement and acoustics datasets for conservation applications. Working at JPL and UCLA-IoES affliated
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- @Andrew_Hill
- | He/Him
Open Acoustic Devices
I am co-founder of Open Acoustic Devices, the creators of AudioMoth and HydroMoth. My background is Electronic Engineering and Computer Science.
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- 10 Discussions
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- @crazybirdguy
- | Him
Field Biologist at Yayasan Cikananga Konservasi Terpadu, Indonesia, with experience and interest mainly in ornithology, citizen science and bioaccoustic
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PhD Candidate in autonomous marine biodiversity modelling
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- 11 Discussions
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FruitPunch AI
CTO and Founder of FruitPunch AI
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- 4 Discussions
- 11 Groups
San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance
Wildlife ecologist with a passtion for conseration technology.
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
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PhD Candidate at University College London. Research and develop wireless sensor networks for biodiversity monitoring. Currently working on a software package for AI bioacoustics classifiers on edge device.
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- 9 Groups
Saint Louis Zoo
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- @alex_rogers
- | He/him/his
University of Oxford
I am a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Oxford where I work on developing novel low-cost conservation technology (including AudioMoth and SnapperGPS).
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- 21 Discussions
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- @diyaquanauts
- | he / him
Digital nomad, software developer, running mechatronic engineering firm in Seychelles to assist ocean conservation groups.
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- 9 Groups
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- 8 Groups
Article
New WILDLABS Funding & Finance group
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The Inventory is your one-stop shop for conservation technology tools, organisations, and R&D projects. Start contributing to it now!
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Hiring Chief Engineer at Conservation X Labs
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1 May 2024
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TBC is looking for an applicant to lead on the design, analysis and reporting of data from a wide range of innovative bat population monitoring surveys with a particular focus on passive acoustic monitoring, undertake...
24 April 2024
Careers
Full-time 3 year postdoctoral fellowship in Escondido, CA
22 April 2024
Article
In a recent publication we tested Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring (UPAM) as a feasible non-invasive technique to study the calling behavior of therathened aquatic Andean frogs under natural conditions in the...
6 April 2024
Link
Check out how water-based sporting events are impacting underwater noise pollution for marine life.
3 April 2024
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Julia Wiel
July 2025
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Vanesa Reyes
November 2025
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Wildlife Acoustics
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Netty Cheruto
61 Products
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi everyone, can you recommend reliable bat detectors for fieldwork? I'm focusing on bat (Chiroptera) research and need a detector... |
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Acoustics | 3 months ago | |
| You can hack a 6-inch underwater speaker onto a recording unit, and swap it from being speaker to a microphone. They are, on paper, the same thing. That frequency... |
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Acoustics | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Hey Catherine! This post originally linked to an old version of the database - the new version does include WildTrax. I'm a big fan of it :) |
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Acoustics | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Thanks for reaching out.Please send us an email: smithy@kznwildlife.com and david.ehlers.smith@birdlife.org.za and we can have chat. Review and meta-analysis welcome as well as... |
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Acoustics | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi Lucille,Thank you for your reply! We’d be really interested in learning more about your developments. We’ll contact you soon to arrange a discussion.Thank you.Best regards,... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Sensors | 3 months 1 week ago | |
| That is splendid news! Thanks Willem-Pier! |
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Acoustics | 3 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi Lorenzo,I highly recommend the OpenSoundscapes package (developed by the Kitzes Lab at U Pittsburgh) - there are workflows to build your own CNNs there, the documentation is... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Open Source Solutions | 3 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hello everyone!During my master thesis in engineering (past autumn), I developed Machine Learning for anti-poaching. As such, I recorded a... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Data management and processing tools | 3 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hey everyone! We’re Deep Voice Foundation, a non-profit using AI to help conserve marine wildlife. We develop acoustic... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation | 3 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hey, please find here a dataset about nocturnal bird calls in Europe |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Software Development | 4 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi Simon,We (Reneco International Wildlife Consultants) have an ongoing collaboration with a local University (Abu Dhabi, UAE) for developing AI tools (cameratrap/drone... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Connectivity, Drones, Early Career, eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors | 4 months 1 week ago | |
| Hello Carly, Congratulations for this project!I am studying right now a second MA in Environment Management. I would like to do my MA thesis project about these technologies... |
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Acoustics, Camera Traps | 4 months 2 weeks ago |
