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
Fauna & Flora International (FFI) & WILDLABS
Programme Assistant, Conservation Capacity & Leadership
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World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
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São Paulo State University (UNESP)
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Interested in automated insect monitoring.
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Application of radio astronomy techniques to conservation research, particularly in acoustics.
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Sound designer and researcher working in spatial audio, field recording and electroacoustic music. Looking for ways to leverage my MSc in Sound Design to get more involved in bioacoustics, to be of more use to protecting the natural world
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Postgraduate Biology student interested in bioacoustics, conservation biology and biodiversity
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Developer of the Android app DC Dolphin Communicator, and others
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bioacoustician
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Careers
The Senior Conservation Technology Specialist will be responsible for providing technical advice and capacity development to GWP project teams on conservation technology, distilling challenges and lessons from project...
22 September 2022
2
Funding
The European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, co-funded by the European Union, has launched a call for research proposals on “Improved transnational monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem change for science and...
14 September 2022
1
Careers
Join the BirdNET team!
Holger Klinck
The BirdNet team are seeking to fill three roles, including an Ecologist, Data scientist and an Embedded Systems Engineer based in Germany.
9 September 2022
4
Careers
BOEM job openings
Kerri D Seger
Two job openings for BOEM in the United States
8 September 2022
1
Careers
The Purdue University Center for Global Soundscapes is seeking a new postdoctoral fellow to work on a project at the intersection of soundscape monitoring and remote sensing / geospatial data
8 September 2022
1
Careers
Postdoc: Noise Impacts on Marine Animals
Carly Batist
Mystic Aquarium is seeking a Postdoctoral Investigator (PDI) to address noise impacts on aquatic species, particularly beluga whales, seals and turtles. This project will develop & carry out research to address...
1 September 2022
1
Careers
Seeking interested individuals with qualifications and educational background and experience in marine species biology/ecology (marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, seabirds, etc.); with skills in applied scientific study...
31 August 2022
1
Careers
Acoustics Modeler & Analyst, Marine Acoustics Inc
Stephanie O'Donnell
Marine Acoustics, Inc. (MAI) is seeking an Acoustic Modeler and Analyst to assist us in the analysis of underwater acoustic system performance and the effect underwater acoustic transmissions have on the marine...
30 August 2022
Careers
Conservation Technology Research Internship
Meredith Palmer
Boost cons tech capacity at an international NGO! Fauna & Flora International is offering a paid three-month internship to consolidate and share best practices for the application of emerging hardware and software...
26 August 2022
2
Article
Ceres Wild Rhino application
Kim Lane
An update on Ceres Tags products that are being used in conservation
22 August 2022
1
Article
Bird Sounds Global (BSG) launched a web portal for annotating bird sounds. Annotating means identifying the species vocalising in the recording. The aim is to produce training and testing material for automated bird...
17 August 2022
Funding
Product Grant Program
Wildlife Acoustics
Wildlife Acoustics' grant program to receive bioacoustic tools and software is now accepting applications. Apply for up to $4,000 worth of products and software licenses.
9 August 2022
2
October 2022
event
Carly Batist
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
September 2022
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
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Stephanie O'Donnell
August 2022
event
Justin Kitzes
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Stephanie O'Donnell
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| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I only really know about the audio side of things, not sure about incorporating video too. Raven may be something to look into? From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There's a... |
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Acoustic Monitoring, Citizen Science, Data management and processing tools , Open Source Solutions, Software and Mobile Apps | 8 hours 5 minutes ago | |
| Thanks so much!! |
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Acoustic Monitoring, AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Community Base, Data management and processing tools , Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions, Remote Sensing & GIS, Software and Mobile Apps | 9 hours 57 minutes ago | |
| I love the idea of increasing international collaboration and inclusion within acoustic monitoring! I think there particularly needs to be more collab'ing between the terrestrial... |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 10 hours 42 minutes ago | |
| Hi there Camilo, What an interesting project! If you are looking for a lower cost, but effective tools for acoustic monitoring you might want to look into two options: ... |
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Acoustic Monitoring, AI for Conservation, Data management and processing tools , Sensors, Software and Mobile Apps | 3 days 14 hours ago | |
| Hello Alex, My information might not be that helpful to you, still, our organisation have an Enterprise license of AWS cloud and we store all our media files (video,... |
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Acoustic Monitoring, Data management and processing tools | 1 week 1 day ago | |
| I have been waiting for journal club to come back!! 10000% down.I agree with @StephODonnell, would love it to come back!!! And now that variety hour is happening, that's more of... |
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Acoustic Monitoring, Community Base | 1 week 4 days ago | |
| Alex,which one of thosehttps://selectronix.co.uk/collections/waterproof-acoustic-vents would be the appropriate for the Audiomoth case?Agus |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 1 month ago | |
| Hey maya, If you're free - come along to our Variety Hour call next week and ask folks there too. We're keeping the last 10 mins open for people to jump up and put out calls... |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 1 month 2 weeks ago | |
| Thanks for the little push on twitter ;-)I willl be using the #hydromoth in the Austrian Danube freshwater ecosystem.The Donau-Auen National Park preserves the last great... |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 1 month 3 weeks ago | |
| @Andrew_Hill I wonder if you could let us know more about the time keeping difference btw the regular AudioMoth and the HydroMoth (which is said to do better)? |
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Acoustic Monitoring, Marine Conservation | 1 month 3 weeks ago | |
| The Bioacoustics Stack Exchange has now made it past the private beta stage and onto public beta as of July 26! This means that the site... |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 1 month 4 weeks ago | |
| Good afternoon,My name is Maya and I am writing to you as an intern at 'Sounding Images', a Berlin-based production company https://www.... |
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Acoustic Monitoring | 2 months 1 week ago |
Ecological Forecasting Initiative's data analysis webinar series
26 September 2022 at 06:50pm
New paper: A novel method for identifying coded tags recorded on aquatic acoustic monitoring systems
26 September 2022 at 02:11pm
Authors demonstrated "a low cost, simple method to support acoustic tag surveys by identifying tags both from direct acoustic recordings & by reconstructing code packets from processed C-POD data. Method was applied to decode tag detections from bass & Twaite shad."
Software to aid acoustic sound files visualization/labelling + Software to syncronize video/acoustic sonograms
23 September 2022 at 01:01pm
Senior Conservation Technology Expert Position (Consultancy) with the Global Wildlife Program
22 September 2022 at 05:35pm
New paper: Passive acoustic monitoring as a tool to investigate the spatial distribution of invasive alien species
21 September 2022 at 02:07am
Authors developed reproducible passive acoustic monitoring pipeline to rapidly provide baseline information on invasive alien species (IAS); found that IAS occurrence related to high levels of human disturbance.
New paper: Evaluation of a coastal acoustic buoy for cetacean detections, bearing accuracy and exclusion zone monitoring
20 September 2022 at 03:00pm
Authors "developed a three-hydrophone passive acoustic monitoring system that provides bearing information along with marine mammal detections to allow for informed management decisions in real-time."
New paper: Soundscapes show disruption across the diel cycle in human modified tropical landscapes
20 September 2022 at 02:40pm
Authors founds dawn & dusk choruses were lost/supressed in plantations, acoustic activity at dawn/dusk reduced in disturbed ecosystems compared to healthy forests.
WILDLABS Journal Club
15 September 2022 at 11:42am
15 September 2022 at 12:17pm
Ah Journal club - this was a lot of fun but a little chaotic. We've been wondering if we should bring it back with a slightly different format. ie we all agree on a paper to read before rather than bringing a mix of things to present. What does everyone think? Is anyone else keen? Is there a format you'd suggest we use?
15 September 2022 at 03:49pm
I have been waiting for journal club to come back!! 10000% down.
I agree with @StephODonnell, would love it to come back!!! And now that variety hour is happening, that's more of the "mix of things" that she mentioned anyways so I think that new format would be great.
26 September 2022 at 11:59pm
I only really know about the audio side of things, not sure about incorporating video too.
Raven may be something to look into? From the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. There's a bunch of different license purchase options that are pretty affordable (especially compared to other proprietary software like BatSound or Sonobat, though the latter has a free viewer platform).
Arbimon may be something to look into as well, as it is completely free & has a nice online GUI. Though this is more aimed at passive acoustic monitoring-type stuff.