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Requirements and resources for instrumentation and software useful in animal bioacoustics [abstract]

Charles R. Greene (1998). Requirements and resources for instrumentation and software useful in animal bioacoustics [abstract]. Bioacoustics, Volume 9 (2): 154 -155

 

Abstract: 

This presentation provides an overview of instrumentation and software useful in animal bioacoustics studies. Researchers need to know what is important in the context of their own projects so they may choose sensors, recorders and processors. In addition to the microphones and hydrophones common to sound pressure sensing in air and water, particle motion sensors have their uses in directional sensing. Arrays of sensors are useful for source localization and signal enhancement. Audio cassette and digital audio tape (DAT) recorders are common, and computer memories (disks and flash memory cards) are being used increasingly. Analyzers have to be flexible to accommodate the computation of useful parameters to characterize animal sounds or sounds to which animals are exposed. There are general purpose signal analysers available, and there are systems of signal processing software routines like Signal and Canary. More researchers are using MATLAB to develop custom routines for themselves. Examples will be presented for time series and spectrum analyses of airgun pulses. Specific applications will be presented of moored buoy arrays and autonomous bottom recorders to acoustic studies of bowhead whales.