1. Study design
- what are my objectives?
- data management strategy and analysis (because it's very easy to get too much data), as well as what material do you need, boats, people etc.
- detection protocole (sampling rates and frequencies)
as well as choose the best detection distance, the environnemental parameters and the captors disposition and numbers.
-Then establish à sample calendar.
Am I sampling everyday? Only some hours a day? Every week ?
2. Sensor deployement
- Test the equipment before..., good recording, battery autonomy, SD-Card, sensitivity from the hydrophone etc. Start to do ideally a pilot project in a small area then extend it.
3. Data analysis and signal processing
-From the raw data, use a spectogram to see the signal.
Audacity (free), Raven, Pamguard are some of the software to process the data.
- to analyse a bunch of data it's always good to be well organised with the folder name. I personally always use the dates, times and specific location.
Acoustic passive recording are great for abundance, population dynamics, presence and sometimes behavioral survey. It's non invasive and allow to see the human factor correlated with the cetacean behavior.
But it's good to remember that a cetacean doesn't vocalize all the time...
Example of the EAR project a collaborative study between 3 reknown marine scientists to learn where are going the Mediterranean Sperm and fin Whales in Winter...
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