Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
We continue to develop and apply advanced software and hardware tools for monitoring terrestrial and marine wildlife. Hardware tools include various forms of single sensor and multi-sensor microphone and hydrophone arrays; and miniaturized radio frequency transmitting and receiving systems that utilize novel engineering approaches for tracking wild animals. Software tools include applications for visualizing acoustic data; user-friendly interfaces for user-guided or automatic detection, measurement, classification, localization, and tracking of acoustically active animals in three dimensions; automatic detection, localization and tracking of animals tagged with radio-frequency systems. Highly endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored for six months along the east coast from Maine to Georgia. In the critical habitat around Cape Cod three moored buoys were deployed and equipped with electronics packages to automatically detect right whale calls and
transmit data back to Cornell in near-real-time, where the data were made available on a website. Marine mammals were acoustically monitored throughout the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. Bowhead and beluga whales, and Arctic cod were acoustically monitored for three months in the Chukchi Sea (Alaskan Arctic). Measurements of human-generated underwater noise that could impact marine mammals were performed at several critical sites on the east coast, in the Chukchi Sea, and in Glacier Bay, Alaska. A massive acoustic monitoring project for the calls and knocks from the extremely rare and once thought extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker continued in the Cache River and White River areas of eastern Arkansas. Analysis was completed on acoustic data collected in previous years on endangered songbirds at Fort Hood, Texas. In collaboration with other scientists at the Lab of Ornithology research was conducted on the use of nocturnal flight calls to monitor bird migration on a large geographic
scale. The analyses of data collected are providing fresh insights into animal communication and behavior, and the detection of rare and endangered species over large spatial and temporal scales.
Impacts
A variety of advanced hardware, software, and radio telemetry tools continue to be developed and implemented for research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens to elephants and whales. Such tools include autonomous recording units and automatic recording-detection buoys; software for automated detection, localization and tracking; miniaturized radio-frequency telemetric transmitters and intelligent receiver networks. These tools are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management by private, state, and federal agencies. Given the success of these technological developments for wildlife, we are now preparing to market and distribute these software and hardware technologies to a broader scientific audience, and to work with educators to inform the public as to the value of this integrated effort.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
We continue to develop and apply advanced software and hardware tools for monitoring terrestrial and marine wildlife. Hardware tools include various forms of single sensor and multi-sensor microphone and hydrophone arrays; and miniaturized radio frequency transmitting and receiving systems that utilize novel engineering approaches for tracking wild animals. Software tools include applications for visualizing acoustic data; user-friendly interfaces for user-guided or automatic detection, measurement, classification, localization, and tracking of acoustically active animals in three dimensions; automatic detection, localization and tracking of animals tagged with radio-frequency systems. Networks of acoustic arrays and monitoring systems were deployed in Fort Hood, Texas and in Congaree National Park (SC) to evaluate the distribution and abundance of endangered songbirds. Highly endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored for six months along the east
coast from Maine to Georgia. Marine mammals were acoustically monitored throughout the eastern North Atlantic Ocean. In the critical habitat around Cape Cod four moored buoys were deployed and equipped with electronics packages to automatically detect right whale calls and transmit data back to Cornell in near-real-time, where the data were made available on a website. A massive acoustic monitoring project for the calls and knocks from the extremely rare and once thought extinct Ivory Billed Woodpecker was undertaken for six months in the White River area of Arkansas. The analyses of data collected are providing fresh insights into animal communication and behavior, and the detection of rare and endangered species over large spatial and temporal scales.
Impacts
A variety of advanced hardware, software and radio telemetry tools continue to be developed and implemented for research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens to elephants and whales. Such tools include autonomous recording units and automatic recording-detection buoys; software for, automated detection, localization and tracking; miniaturized radio-frequency telemetric transmitters and intelligent receiver networks. These tools are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management by private, state and federal agencies. Given the success of these technological developments for wildlife, we are now preparing to market and distribute these software and hardware technologies to a broader scientific audience, and to work with educators to inform the public as to the value of this integrated effort.
Publications
- Bower, J.L. and Clark, C.W. 2005. A field test of the accuracy of a passive acoustic location system. Bioacoustics 15: 1-14.
- Kraus, S.D., M.W. Brown, H. Caswell, C.W. Clark, M. Fujiwara, P. Hamilton, R. Denney, A.R. Knowlton, S. Landry, C.A. Mayo, W. A. McLellan, M.J. Moore, D.P. Nowacek, D.Ann Pabst, A.J. Read, R.M. Rolland. 2005. North Atlantic Right Whales in Crisis [Policy Forum]. Science 309: 561-562.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Tools for acoustic monitoring of wildlife were developed and utilized in novel settings. Networks of acoustic arrays and monitoring systems were deployed in Fort Hood, Texas and in Congaree National Park (SC) to evaluate the distribution and abundance of endangered songbirds. Highly endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored in a project integrating aerial survey, acoustic survey and productivity in Cape Cod Bay, in a project integrating vessel survey and acoustics on Jeffreys Ledge (MA-NH), and in a project utilizing acoustics alone along the mid-Atlantic coast from Savannah (GA) to Cape Fear (NC). Marine mammals were acoustically monitored throughout the western North Atlantic Ocean. Totally novel engineering approaches to miniaturized, radio frequency systems for tracking wild animals were initiated, including both beacon and telemetry capabilities. Analyses of data collected previously provided continuing fresh insights into animal communication
and behavior. Ongoing collaborative use of U.S. Navy undersea acoustic surveillance systems revealed patterns of baleen whale calling activity in the eastern North Atlantic, including humpback singing activity at high latitudes and the initiation of acoustic sampling of fin whales to derive trends in relative abundance.
Impacts
Advanced hardware and software tools continue to be developed and implemented for acoustic and radio telemetry research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens to elephants and whales. Such tools, including autonomous recording, automated detection, localization and tracking, miniaturized radio-frequency telemetric transmitters associated with intelligent receiver networks are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management.
Publications
- Clark, C. W., and Clapham, P. J. 2004. Acoustic monitoring on a humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding ground shows continual singing into late Spring. Proceedings Roy. Soc. Lond., B. 271: 1051-1057.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Tools for acoustic monitoring of wildlife were developed and utilized in novel settings. A second set of acoustic census of forest elephant populations were successfully conducted in Ghana and the Central African Republic. Networks of acoustic arrays and balloon monitoring systems were deployed in Fort Hood, Texas to evaluate the distribution and abundance of endangered songbirds. Endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored in a project integrating aerial survey, acoustic survey and productivity in Cape Cod Bay and the Great South Channel. Endangered bowhead whales were visually and acoustically monitored off Pt. Barrow, Alaska as part of a census. Ongoing analysis of visual and acoustic data will provide new estimates of population size. Analyses of data collected previously provided other novel insights regarding animal communication and behavior. Continuing collaborative use of U.S. Navy undersea acoustic surveillance systems revealed singing
activity patterns of blue, fin, humpback and minke whales in the eastern North Atlantic along with the seasonal movements of singers.
Impacts
Advanced tools are being developed and implemented for acoustic research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens and vireos to elephants and whales. Such tools, including autonomous recording, and automated detection, localization and tracking, are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management.
Publications
- Clark, C. W., and Ellison, W.T. 2003. Potential use of low-frequency sounds by baleen whales for probing the environment: evidence from models and empirical measurements. Pp. 564-582, in Echolocation in Bats and Dolphins (J. Thomas, C. Moss and M. Vater, eds.). The University of Chicago Press.
- Mellinger, D. K. and Clark, C. W. 2003. Blue Whale (Balaenoptera musculus) sounds from the North Atlantic. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 114:1108-1119.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Tools for acoustic monitoring of wildlife were developed and utilized in novel settings. A second acoustic census of forest elephant populations were successfully conducted in Ghana and the Central African Republic. Networks of acoustic arrays and monitoring systems were deployed in Fort Hood, Texas to evaluate the distribution and abundance of endangered songbirds. Endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored in a project integrating aerial survey, acoustic survey and productivity in Cape Cod Bay and the Great South Channel. Endangered bowhead whales were visually and acoustically monitored off Pt. Barrow, Alaska as part of a census. Ongoing analysis of visual and acoustic data will provide new estimates of population size. Analyses of data collected previously provided other fresh insights regarding animal communication and behavior. Finback whale calling activity relative to food resources was studied and the source levels of finback whale calls
were measured in the Gulf of California. Continuing collaborative use of U.S. Navy undersea acoustic surveillance systems revealed patterns of baleen whale calling activity in the eastern North
Impacts
Advanced tools are being developed and implemented for acoustic research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens and vireos to elephants and whales. Such tools, including autonomous recording, and automated detection, localization and tracking, are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management
Publications
- Clark, C.W., Borsani, J.F. and Notarbartolo-di-Sciara, G. 2002. Vocal activity of fin whales, Balaenoptera physalus, in the Ligurian Sea. Mar. Mamm. Science 18(1): 281-285.
- Charif, R.A., Mellinger, D.K., Dunsmore, K.J., Fristrup, K.M. and Clark, C.W. 2002. Estimated source levels of fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) vocalizations: adjustments for surface interference. Mar. Mamm. Science 18(1):81-98.
- Croll, D.A., Clark, C.W., Acevedo, A., Tershy, B., Flores, S., Gedamke, J. and Urban, J. 2002. Only males fin whales sing loud songs. Nature 417:809
- Frankel, A.S. and Clark, C.W. 2002. ATOC and other factors affecting the distribution and abundance of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) off the coast of the north shore of Kauai. Mar. Mamm. Science 18 (3): 644-662.
- Bass, A. H. and Clark, C.W. 2002. The physical acoustics of underwater sound communication. Pp. 15-64, in Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (A. M. Simmons, A. Popper and R. R. Fay, eds.). Springer-Verlag
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Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Tools for acoustic monitoring of wildlife were developed and utilized in novel settings. Preparations for a second acoustic census of forest elephant populations were completed for Ghana and the Central African Republic. Networks of acoustic arrays and monitoring systems were deployed in Fort Hood, Texas to evaluate the distribution and abundance of endangered songbirds. An acoustic census of bowhead whales off Pt. Barrow, Alaska was successfully completed. Endangered northern right whales were acoustically monitored in a project integrating aerial survey, acoustic survey and productivity in Cape Cod Bay. Analyses of data collected previously provided other fresh insights regarding animal communication and behavior. Finback whale calling activity relative to food resources was studied and the source levels of finback whale calls were measured in the Gulf of California. Comparisons of acoustic activity and dung counts were undertaken for a forest elephant population in
Ghana. Ongoing collaborative use of U. S. Navy undersea acoustic surveillance systems revealed patterns of baleen whale calling activity in the eastern North Atlantic, including humpback singing activity at high latitudes. Another Navy collaboration yielded new insights regarding the responses of baleen whales to low frequency sound transmissions.
Impacts
Advanced tools are being developed and implemented for acoustic research on a variety of wild animal populations, from wrens to elephants and whales. Such tools, including autonomous recording, automated detection, localization and tracking, are emerging as critical technologies for conservation and land management
Publications
- Clark, C.W. and Ellison, W.T. 2000. Calibration and comparison of the acoustic location methods used during the spring migration of the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus off Pt. Barrow, Alaska, 1984-1993. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107(6):3509-3517.Bradbury, J. W. and S. L. Vehrencamp. 2000. Economic models of animal communication. Animal Behavior 59: 259-268.
- Fristrup, K. M. 2001. A History of Character Concepts in Evolutionary Biology. Pp. 13-35, in The Character Concept in Evolutionary Biology, Academic Press.
- Charif, R.A., Clapham, P.J. and Clark, C.W. 2001. Acoustic detections of singing humpback whales in deep waters off the British Isles. Mar. Mamm. Science 17(4):751-768.
- Croll, D. A., Clark, C.W., Calambokidis, J., Ellison, W.T., and Tershy, B.R. 2001. Effect of Anthropogenic Low-Frequency Noise on the Foraging Ecology of Balaenoptera Whales. Animal Conservation 4:13-27.
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Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00
Outputs
Tools for acoustic monitoring of wildlife were utilized in novel settings. The first acoustic censuses of forest elephant populations were performed in Ghana and the Central African Republic. Finback whale calling activity was studied in the Gulf of California, and a real-time call localization system was used to demonstrate that calling activity was confined to males. An Internet-based system for collecting and analyzing the nocturnal flight calls of migrating songbirds was developed and utilized in a citizen science project sponsored by the EPA. Analyses of data collected previously provided other fresh insights regarding animal communication and behavior. The source level of finback whale calls was measured. The flight altitudes of nocturnal migrant songbirds were characterized. Ongoing collaborative use of U. S. Navy undersea acoustic surveillance systems revealed patterns of baleen whale calling activity in the eastern North Atlantic, including humpback singing
activity at high latitudes. Another Navy collaboration yielded new insights regarding the responses of baleen whales to low frequency sound transmissions.
Impacts
Remote acoustic censusing of wild populations is emerging as a critical technology for conservation and land management. The studies of whale responses to noise are providing the foundation for several marine environmental impact assessments.
Publications
- Bradbury, J. W. and S. L. Vehrencamp. 2000. Economic models of animal communication. Animal Behavior 59: 259-268.
- Frankel, A. S. and C. W. Clark. 2000. Behavioral Responses of Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, to full-scale ATOC signals. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 108:1930-1937.
- Mellinger, D .K., C. D. Carson, and C. W. Clark. 2000. Characteristics of Minke Whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata) Pulse Trains recorded near Puerto Rico. Marine Mammal Science, 16: 739-756.
- Mellinger, D.K. and C. W. Clark. 2000. Recognizing transient low-frequency whale sounds by spectrogram correlation. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107(6):3518-3529. Purgue, A.P. and P.M. Narins. (2000) A model for energy flow in the inner ear of the bullfrog ), J Comp Physiol A. 186
- Purgue, A.P. and P.M. Narins. (2000) Mechanics of the inner ear of the bullfrom (Rana catesbeiana): the contact membranes and the periotic canal. J Comp Physiol A.
- Tyack, P. L., and C. W. Clark. 2000. Communication and Acoustical behavior in dolphins and whales. Pp. 156-224, in Hearing by Whales and Dolphins. Springer Handbook of Auditory Research (W. W. L. Au, A. N. Popper, and R. R. Fay, eds.). Springer-Verlag, New York, 485 pp.
- Vehrencamp, S. L. (2000). Handicap, index, and conventional signal elements of bird song. In: Adaptive significance of signalling and signal design in animal communication. Proc. 5th Int. Kongsvoll Symp. (Ed. by Y. Espmark, T. Amundsen & G. Rosenqvist), Trondheim: Tapir Publishers; pp. 159-182.
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Progress 01/01/99 to 12/31/99
Outputs
In the past year we have worked on a variety of projects involving the analysis of sounds made by free-living animals, including studies of whale acoustic behavior in the North Atlantic Ocean, potential effects of human undersea acoustic activities on whales, studies of terrestrial animal acoustics, development of automated data collection technologies, and software for detecting, classifying, and localizing bioacoustic signals. Specific projects include: (1) Documented seasonal occurrence of blue, fin, and humpback whale sounds in the eastern North Atlantic, using Navy undersea listening systems. We continue to use these systems to study patterns of whale acoustic activity and to seek evidence of changes in distribution and acoustic behavior in relation to human-made sound in the ocean. (2) Deployed autonomous sea-floor acoustic recorders to monitor whale sounds and industrial noise in the vicinity of offshore oil drilling sites north of Scotland. (3) Analyzed data
from experiments on possible effects of Navy Low-Frequency Active sonar on blue, fin, and humpback whales. (4) Monitored nocturnal bird migration in western NY state using an array of microphones connected to a computer-based sound recording system. (5) Worked on improving methods for localizing sounds recorded using arrays of sensors both underwater and in air. (5) Continued development and implementation of a new generation of radio transmitter for radio-tracking and telemetry of forest birds.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/98 to 12/31/98
Outputs
In the past year we have worked on a variety of projects involving the analysis of sounds made by free-living animals, including studies of whale acoustic behavior in the North Atlantic Ocean, potential effects of human undersea acoustic activities on whales, studies of terrestrial animal acoustics, development of automated data collection technologies, and software for detecting, classifying, and localizing bioacoustic signals. Specific projects include: (1) Documented seasonal occurrence of blue, fin, and humpback whale sounds in the eastern North Atlantic, using Navy undersea listening systems. We continue to use these systems to study patterns of whale acoustic activity and to seek evidence of changes in distribution and acoustic behavior in relation to human-made sound in the ocean. (2) Conducted field experiments on possible effects of Navy Low-Frequency Active sonar on blue, fin, gray, and humpback whales. (3) Began research for nocturnal acoustic monitoring of
migrating birds. (4) Developed an autonomous underwater acoustic recorder that can collect sounds on the ocean floor for many weeks at a time. (5) Worked on improving methods for localizing sounds recorded using arrays of sensors both underwater and in air. (6) Completed the study of possible effects of ATOC sounds on marine mammals in the vicinity of the Kauai ATOC source. (7) Began development and implementation of a new generation of radio transmitter for radio-tracking and telemetry of forest birds.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Clark, C.W. 1998. Underwater Noise. In: 1998 McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology.
- Clark, C.W. and Charif, R. A. 1998. Acoustic monitoring of large whales to the west of Britain and Ireland using bottom-mounted hydrophone arrays, October 1996 - September 1997. JNCC Report No. 281. Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Aberdeen.
- Frankel, A.S., Clark, C.W. 1998. Results of low-frequency playback of M-sequence noise to humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in Hawai'i. Can. J. Zool. 76(3):521-535.
- Ljungblad, Don K., Clark, C W. and Shimada, H. 1998. Sounds attributed to pygmy blue whales recorded south of Madagascar December 1996. Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 49: xxx-xx.
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Progress 01/01/97 to 12/31/97
Outputs
In the past year we have worked on a variety of projects involving the analysis of sounds made by free-living animals, including studies of whale acoustic behavior in the North Atlantic Ocean, potential effects of human undersea acoustic activities on whales, studies of terrestial animal acoustics, development of automated data collection technologies, and software for detecting, classifying, and localizing bioacoustic signals. Specific projects include: (1) Documented seasonal occurrence of blue, fin, and humpback whale sounds in the eastern Atlantic, using Navy undersea listening systems. We continue to use these systems to study patterns of whale acoustic activity and to seek evidence of changes in distribution and acoustic behavior in relation to human-made sound in the ocean. (2) Conducted field experiments on possible effects of Navy Low-Frequency Active sonar on fin, blue, gray, and humpback whales. (3) Conducted field recordings and acoustic data analysis for
the Navy's Northern Right Whale Survey off of northern Florida. (4) Developed an autonomous underwater acoustic recorder that can collect sounds on the ocean floor for many weeks at a time. (5) Worked on improving methods for localizing sounds recorded using arrays of microphones underwater and in air. (6) Conducted acoustic transmission loss surveys in the vicinity of the Kauai ATOC source.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- MCGREGOR, P.K., DABELSTEEN, T., CLARK, C.W., BOWER, J.L., TAVARES, J.P. & HOLLAND, J. 1997. Accuracy of a Passive Acoustic Location System: Empirical Studies in Terrestrial Habitats. Ethology Ecology and Evolution, Vol. 9 (3), pp. 269-286.
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Progress 01/01/96 to 12/30/96
Outputs
The ongoing efforts of this project have included:studies of the potential effects of human acoustic activities in the ocean on whales, studies of whale acoustic behavior in the North Atlantic Ocean, development of improved animal population survey techniques through combined visual and acoustic censusing, development of bioacoustic research equipment and software, development of automatic techniques for processing Arctic bioacoustic data, automatic detection of nocturnal flight calls from migrating birds, using remote computer processing systems, and collaborative studies of terrestial animal acoustics. 1. Analyses of the 1995 Hawaiian ATOC playback experiments were completed, and the manuscript cited below has been submitted. Analyses of data collected by the Navy in relation to their LFA development program have been completed, and a report is in preparation regarding patterns of whale acoustic activity during the LFA operations. 2. We continue to work with the U.
S. Navy's underwater listening systems to explore the geographic and seasonal patterns of baleen whale acoustic activity, and to seek evidence for changes in that activity in relation to human sound generation in the ocean. A manuscript in preparation documents the seasonal occurrence of blue, fin, humpback, and minke whale sounds from tropical to high temperate latitudes in the western Atlantic. We also monitored sperm whale acoustic activity using a towed hydrophone array off the Azores, to study their diving and foragin.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- Clark, C.W. 1996. Whales 93: A Seven-DC set, including Hot Tracks and Greatest Hits from Whales 93. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Bioacoustics Research eProgram, Ithaca, NY 14850 i
- Clark, C.W. 1996. Whales 93: A Seven-DC set, including Hot Tracks and Greatest4Hits from Whales 93. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Bioacoustics Research Program, Ithaca, NY 14850
- Clark, C. W. , Charif R., Mitchell, S., and Colby, J. 1996. Distribution and Behavior of the Bowhead Whale, Balaena mysticetus, Based on Analysis of AcousticData Collected During the 1993 Spring Migration off Point Barrow, Alaska. Rep. int
- Spikes, C.H. and Clark, C.W. 1996. Whales '95 - Revolutionizing Marine Mammal Monitoring Technology. Sea Technology. April 1996; 49-53.
- Fristrup, K., and C.W. Clark. 1996. Combining visual and acoustic survey data toenhance density estimation. Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 47:xx-xx.
- Fristrup, K., and C.W. Clark. 1996. Combining visual and acoustic survey data toenhance density estimation. Rep. int. Whal. Commn. 47:xx-xx.
- Bower, J.L. 1996. Acoustic Interactions of male song sparrows and their neighbors before, during a
- Bower, J.L. 1996. Acoustic Interactions of male song sparrows and their neighbors before, during and after aggressive encounters. Abstract, Animal Beha.
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Progress 01/01/95 to 12/30/95
Outputs
We study complex animal vocal behavior using advanced engineering techniques with special emphasis on the areas of endangered populations of whales and the effects of human-made, low-frequency sounds on them. We use US Navy listening systems to study the acoustic behaviors of blue, fin, and minke whales in the North Atlantic Ocean. We are developing combined visual and acoustic methods for large scale surveys on the open ocean. These projects are revolutionizing what we know about endangered species of whales and how they might use their sounds for long-range communication, navigation, and food finding. We also pursue collaborative behavioral research on frogs, birds and mammals, including acoustic methods for censusing the nocturnal flight calls of migrating birds. Techniques developed to detect, locate, and track bowhead whales are now being extended to studies on other vertebrate species. This involves collaborations with research labs in the School of Electrical
Engineering at Cornell. Development continues of the CANARY bioacoustic software system and advanced forms of CANARY are now in use around the world for bioacoustics research projects.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 01/01/94 to 12/30/94
Outputs
Efforts under this project have concentrated on completing the analysis of bowhead whale data collected on an expedition to the Arctic in 1993 and research into the potential effects of human-made low-frequency sounds on whales and research on acoustic behaviors of blue, finback, and minke whales throughout the North Atlantic Ocean and collaborative research with colleagues and students on various species of animals, and development of software programs for the acquisition, editing, and analysis of animal vocalizations, and development of acoustic methods for censusing migrating birds based on their nocturnal flight calls. Analysis of the bowhead whale data has used passive acoustic techniques to detect, locate, and track migrating whales as part of an acoustic effort. Results have also been used to describe annual changes and individual differences in bowhead songs, and to observe how whales are communicating using sounds in order to navigate through the arctic ice.
Development of a program call CANARY, v1.2, a bioacoustic software system, continues. Advanced forms of this program for research within the bioacoustics community are also progressing. Another major effort is ongoing study of the potential effects of human-made, low-frequency sounds on whales especially as related to oceanographic research. This whale research is revolutionizing how several endangered species of whales might use thier infrasonic sounds for long-range communication, navigation.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
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Progress 01/01/93 to 12/30/93
Outputs
Efforts under this project have concentrated on completing the analysis of bowhead whale data collected on an expedition to the Arctic in 1993, collaborative research with colleagues on various species of animals (frogs, birds, mamals), development of software programs for the acquisition, editing, and analysis of animal vocalizations, and research into the potential effects of manmade low-frequency sounds on large, pelagic whales. Analysis of the bowhead whale data has used passive acoustic techniques to detect, locate, and track migrating whales as part of an acoustic census effort. Results have also been used to describe annual changes and individual differences in bowhead songs, and to observe how whales are communicating using sounds in order to navigate through arctic ice. These same techniques are now being applied to collaborative studies of territorial frogs and birds, especially as it relates to male acoustic displays during mating. Software development of a
program called CANARY, version 1.1 and its User's Manual are complete. This effort involves collaborations with a number of research labs in the School of Engineering. This work is being carried out on Apple Mac II computers as part of a major effort designed to support bioacoustic researchers within Cornell community and around the world. Two major research efforts on large, pelagic whales have been initiated using US Navy passive acoustic arrays.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- NO PUBLICATIONS REPORTED THIS PERIOD.
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Progress 01/01/91 to 12/30/91
Outputs
Efforts under this project have concentrated on (1) completing the analysis of bowhead whale data collected on an expedition to the Arctic in 1988, (2) collaborative research with colleagues on various species of animals (frogs, birds and mammals), and (3) development of software programs for the acquisition, editing and analysis of animal vocalizations. Analysis of the bowhead whale data has used passive acoustic techniques to detect, locate and track migrating whales as part of an acoustic census effort. Results have also been used to describe annual changes and individual differences in bowhead songs, and to observe how whales are communicating using sounds in order to navigate through the arctic ice. These same techniques are now being applied to studies of frogs and birds. Collaborative research has primarily been dedicated to acquiring large sample sets of sounds from different species of animal sounds and converting these into computer files. These data are
being compiled, and will be analyzed using pattern recognition and sound comparison programs that are under development. Software program development of a program called CANARY is nearing completion and involves collaboration with a number of research labs in the School of Engineering. This work is being carried out on Apple Mac II computers as part of a major effort designed to support bioacoustic researchers within the Cornell community and around the world.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- NO PUBLICATIONS REPORTED THIS PERIOD.
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Progress 01/01/90 to 12/30/90
Outputs
Efforts under this project have concentrated on (1) continued analysis of existing bowhead whale data collected on an expedition to the Arctic in 1988, (2) collaborative research with colleagues on various species of birds (brown-headed cowbirds, flycatchers, woodcreepers, pardolotes), and (3) development of software programs for the acquisition, editing, analysis and systems of animal vocalizations. Analysis of the bowhead whale data has focused on using passive acoustic techniques to detect, locate and track migrating whales as part of an acoustic census effort. Results have also been used to describe annual changes and individual differences in bowhead songs, and to observe how whales are communicating using sounds in order to navigate through the arctic ice and maintain the cohesion of the herd. Collaborative research has primarily been dedicated to acquiring large sample sets of avian sounds into computer files and converting representative tape recordings into
continuous visual representations (audio-spectrograms). These data are being compiled for later comparative analysis using pattern recognition, template matching programs that are under development. Software program development is fully under way and involves the participation of a number of research labs in the College of Engineering. This work is being carried out on Apple Mac II computers as part of a major effort designed to support bioacoustic researchers within the Cornell community and around the world.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- CLARK, C.W. 1990. Techniques of Signal Comparison and Averaging. Acoustic Communication in Animals. Springer-Verlag.
- CLARK, C.W. 1990. Acoustic Behavior of Mysticete Whales. Sensory Abilities of Cetaceans. Plenum Press.
- WURSIG, B. and CLARK, C. W. 1990. Behavior of Bowhead Whales in the Western
- Arctic. In Press. The Bowhead Whale Book. Allen Press. Lawrence, Kansas.
- ZEH, J., CLARK, C.W., GEORGE, J.C., NERINI, M., MITCHELL, E. and BREIWICK J. 1990. History and Present Status of the Bowhead Whale Population in the Western
- Arctic. In Press. The Bowhead Whale Book. Allen Press. Lawrence, KS.
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Progress 10/01/88 to 09/30/89
Outputs
The research continues to focus on developing improved methods for computer-based, quantitative analysis of animal sounds. This now includes development on a variety of computer systems in order to make it available to a larger group of researchers. In particular, the research in my lab concentrates on schemes for the detection, localization, recognition and classification of free-ranging birds and whales using arrays of microphones and hydrophones, respectively. This research requires collaborations with faculty in the College of Engineering especially those with interests in digital signal processing.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- CLARK, C.W. In press. Acoutic Behavior of Mysticete Whales. In: J. Thomas and R. Kastelein (eds.), Sensory Abilities of Cetaceans. Plenum Press. pp. 11.
- CLARK, C.W. and ELLISON, W.T. In press. Numbers and distrubions of bowhead whales, Balaena mysticetus, based on the 1986 acoustic study off Pt. Barrow, Alaska, Rep. int. Whale. Commn. 39.
- GEORGE, J.C., CLARK, C., CARROLL, G.M. and ELLISON, W.T. 1989. Observations on the ice-breaking and ice navigation behavior of migrating bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) near Point Barrow, Alaska, spring 1985. Arctic 42:24-30.
- WURSIG, B. and CLARK, C.W. In press. Behavior of bowhead whales in the Western Arctic. In: J. Burns and J. Montague (eds.), The Bowhead Whale Book. Allen Press. Lawrence, Kansas. pp. 40.
- ZEH, J., CLARK, C.W., GEORGE, J.C., NERINI, M., MITCHELL, E. and BREIWICK, J. In press. History and present status of the bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, population in the Western Arctic. In: J. Burns and J. Montague (eds.).
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Progress 01/01/88 to 12/30/88
Outputs
Research accomplished under this grant during the period between 1 January, 1988and December 31, 1988 consisted of a) acquisition of data b) analysis of these data and c) further development of computer-based signal processing programs for sound analysis. The acquired data was in the form of analog tape recordings containing the songs of first year swamp sparrows which had been tutored in a controlled environment as 10-60 day old chicks. Their songs represent a complex vocal behavior which is learned. The analysis stage quantitatively describes the ontogeny of this vocal learning process by using sophisticated digital signal processing methods. These methods utilize two-dimensional convolution procedures to compare vocalizations. Programs incorporating this process are being transferred to a more advanced computer system. Results from this year's analysis are nearly complete as two of the sixteen data sets still need to be analyzed. The results that are complete
indicate that the rate and degree at which young birds acquire their songs depends on the complexity of the vocal material and the birds innate ability to produce it.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- No publications reported this period.
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Progress 01/01/87 to 12/30/87
Outputs
This is a continuation of research initiated in 1984 at The Rockefeller University. The project has progressed in two stages. The first developed flexible digital signal processing software for the quantitative analysis of bioacoustic signals. The second stage applied those programs to the learned songs of swamp sparrows. Verification of the analytical methods was first accomplished by computer reanalysis of a data set previously analyzed by hand. Then the methods were applied to the swamp sparrow song material. Results demonstrate that the notes from which the songs are composed develop at different rates and with different degrees of precision. The research is now just continuing at Cornell. The immediate objective is to analyze a larger set of song material from a population of sparrows and further develop the software.
Impacts
(N/A)
Publications
- CLARK, C. W., MARLER, P., and BEEMAN, K. 1987. Quantitative Analysis of Animal Vocal Phonology: An Application to Swamp Sparrow Song. Ethology, 76: 101-115.
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