The Australian Acoustic Observatory
Abstract Fauna surveys are traditionally manual, and hence limited in scale, expensive and labour‐intensive. Low‐cost hardware and storage mean that acoustic recording now has the potential to efficiently build scale in terrestrial fauna surveys, both spatially and temporally. With this aim, we have...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-10-01
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| Series: | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13660 |
| _version_ | 1797271209247768576 |
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| author | Paul Roe Philip Eichinski Richard A. Fuller Paul G. McDonald Lin Schwarzkopf Michael Towsey Anthony Truskinger David Tucker David M. Watson |
| author_facet | Paul Roe Philip Eichinski Richard A. Fuller Paul G. McDonald Lin Schwarzkopf Michael Towsey Anthony Truskinger David Tucker David M. Watson |
| author_sort | Paul Roe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Fauna surveys are traditionally manual, and hence limited in scale, expensive and labour‐intensive. Low‐cost hardware and storage mean that acoustic recording now has the potential to efficiently build scale in terrestrial fauna surveys, both spatially and temporally. With this aim, we have constructed the Australian Acoustic Observatory. It provides a direct and permanent record of terrestrial soundscapes through continuous recording across Australian ecoregions, including those periodically subject to fire and flood, when manual surveys are dangerous or impossible. The observatory comprises 360 permanent listening stations deployed across Australia. Groups of four sensors are deployed at each of 90 sites, placed strategically across ecoregions, to provide representative datasets of soundscapes. Each station continuously records sound, resulting in year‐round data collection. All data are made freely available under an open access licence. The Australian Acoustic Observatory is the world's first terrestrial acoustic observatory of this size. It provides continental‐scale environmental monitoring of unparalleled spatial extent, temporal resolution and archival stability. It enables new approaches to understanding ecosystems, long‐term environmental change, data visualization and acoustic science that will only increase in scientific value over time, particularly as others replicate the design in other parts of the world. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:16:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c85229ea4ad54cf1b9b72020c2c4596c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2041-210X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-25T02:16:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-10-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Methods in Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-c85229ea4ad54cf1b9b72020c2c4596c2024-03-07T08:56:54ZengWileyMethods in Ecology and Evolution2041-210X2021-10-0112101802180810.1111/2041-210X.13660The Australian Acoustic ObservatoryPaul Roe0Philip Eichinski1Richard A. Fuller2Paul G. McDonald3Lin Schwarzkopf4Michael Towsey5Anthony Truskinger6David Tucker7David M. Watson8Faculty of Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld AustraliaFaculty of Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld AustraliaSchool of Biological Sciences University of Queensland St Lucia Qld AustraliaZoology, School of Environmental and Rural Science University of New England Armidale NSW AustraliaCollege of Science and Engineering James Cook University Townsville Qld AustraliaFaculty of Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld AustraliaFaculty of Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld AustraliaFaculty of Science Queensland University of Technology Brisbane Qld AustraliaSchool of Environmental Sciences Charles Sturt University Albury NSW AustraliaAbstract Fauna surveys are traditionally manual, and hence limited in scale, expensive and labour‐intensive. Low‐cost hardware and storage mean that acoustic recording now has the potential to efficiently build scale in terrestrial fauna surveys, both spatially and temporally. With this aim, we have constructed the Australian Acoustic Observatory. It provides a direct and permanent record of terrestrial soundscapes through continuous recording across Australian ecoregions, including those periodically subject to fire and flood, when manual surveys are dangerous or impossible. The observatory comprises 360 permanent listening stations deployed across Australia. Groups of four sensors are deployed at each of 90 sites, placed strategically across ecoregions, to provide representative datasets of soundscapes. Each station continuously records sound, resulting in year‐round data collection. All data are made freely available under an open access licence. The Australian Acoustic Observatory is the world's first terrestrial acoustic observatory of this size. It provides continental‐scale environmental monitoring of unparalleled spatial extent, temporal resolution and archival stability. It enables new approaches to understanding ecosystems, long‐term environmental change, data visualization and acoustic science that will only increase in scientific value over time, particularly as others replicate the design in other parts of the world.https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13660acousticsbig dataecological monitoringsensors |
| spellingShingle | Paul Roe Philip Eichinski Richard A. Fuller Paul G. McDonald Lin Schwarzkopf Michael Towsey Anthony Truskinger David Tucker David M. Watson The Australian Acoustic Observatory Methods in Ecology and Evolution acoustics big data ecological monitoring sensors |
| title | The Australian Acoustic Observatory |
| title_full | The Australian Acoustic Observatory |
| title_fullStr | The Australian Acoustic Observatory |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Australian Acoustic Observatory |
| title_short | The Australian Acoustic Observatory |
| title_sort | australian acoustic observatory |
| topic | acoustics big data ecological monitoring sensors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13660 |
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