Examples: Audio Recording

Photo by Tom King on Unsplash

Family: Otariidae

Most species use vocalizations to communicate in addition to physical interactions. Sea lions are extremely vocal, especially during the summer when they are in rutting season. Typically, sea lions gather in large congregations on the scale of thousands during this season. Multiple males obtain territories within this space that they patrol and maintain, while females move within these territories. Scientists can use audio recordings to better understand communication and interactions between males and males, males and females, females and females, and between different species.

Photo by NOAA on Unsplash

Order: Cetacea

Whales use a series of clicks to communicate underwater. Scientists can use audio recordings to identify species in an area at a greater distance than with video recording. Soundscapes can also be recorded for different marine communities to identify the levels of natural versus anthropogenic noise and at what frequencies and intensities the noise is occurring. This would provide more information on how noise levels affect marine mammals within these communities. This can help with mitigation of shipping/boating routes as well as identifying where marine sanctuaries should be enforced.

Photo by Anna McClelland (2016), Camino de montaña, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Human Impact

Long-term studies collecting audio recordings can help identify areas of high human presence and other negative anthropogenic impacts. These recordings can help parks and reserves in creating and implementing plans to reduce human impact on the ecosystem within high flow areas (Blumstein et al, 2011).

Photo by Anna McClelland (2016), Reserva Curi-Cancha, Monteverde, Costa Rica

Forest Biodiversity

Tropical rainforests are filled with dense foliage and a wide variety of fauna at every level. Ornithologists can utilize audio recordings to establish species richness of birds within forest communities (Zhao et al, 2019). In the US, ornithologists recorded over 40,000 hours of audio, which allowed them to confirm the presence of the ivory-billed woodpecker (previously assumed extinct) in certain forests (Blumstein et al, 2011).