Dear Colleagues,
We are pleased to announce that the fully formatted version of this paper has
now been published Open Access in Methods in Ecology and Evolution:
Merchant, N.D., Fristrup, K.M., Johnson, M.P., Tyack, P.L., Witt, M.J.,
Blondel, P., Parks, S.E. (2015). Measuring acoustic habitats. Methods in
Ecology and Evolution. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.12330
Please note that a file was missing (PAMGuide.fig) from the pre-proof version
of the Supplementary Material due to a publishing error - this has now been
fixed in the formatted version.
PAMGuide, the software which accompanies this paper, will be maintained on
Source Forge: http://sourceforge.net/projects/pamguide/ Any updates or
additions to the software will be added here, and extensions can be developed
collaboratively.
With best wishes,
Nathan Merchant
Summary
1.Many organisms depend on sound for communication, predator/prey detection,
and navigation. The acoustic environment can therefore play an important role
in ecosystem dynamics and evolution. A growing number of studies are
documenting acoustic habitats and their influences on animal development,
behaviour, physiology, and spatial ecology, which has led to increasing demand
for passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) expertise in the life sciences. However,
as yet, there has been no synthesis of data processing methods for acoustic
habitat monitoring, which presents an unnecessary obstacle to would-be PAM
analysts.
2.Here, we review the signal processing techniques needed to produce calibrated
measurements of terrestrial and aquatic acoustic habitats. We include a
supplemental tutorial and template computer codes in MATLAB and R, which give
detailed guidance on how to produce calibrated spectrograms and statistical
analyses of sound levels. Key metrics and terminology for the characterisation
of biotic, abiotic, and anthropogenic sound are covered, and their application
to relevant monitoring scenarios is illustrated through example datasets. To
inform study design and hardware selection, we also include an up-to-date
overview of terrestrial and aquatic PAM instruments.
3.Monitoring of acoustic habitats at large spatiotemporal scales is becoming
possible through recent advances in PAM technology. This will enhance our
understanding of the role of sound in the spatial ecology of acoustically
sensitive species, and inform spatial planning to mitigate the rising influence
of anthropogenic noise in these ecosystems. As we demonstrate in this work,
progress in these areas will depend upon the application of consistent and
appropriate PAM methodologies.
*******
Dr Nathan Merchant
Senior Scientist, Underwater Noise
Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
Pakefield Road
Lowestoft
Suffolk NR33 0HT
+44 (0) 1502 527780
[email protected]
www.cefas.defra.gov.uk
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