Launching underwater bioacoustics in Asia by Whitlow W. L. Au

Abstract

Whitlow W. L. Au combined biosonar science with engineering. His studies influenced so many students in Asia no matter what their specialities, such as physiology, morphology, and physics. The epoch-making book “The Sonar of Dolphins” is an ideal example of his interdisciplinary approach. Whit educated young researchers in various ways even he did not notice. He led discussion among scientists that motivated current and new generations to conduct underwater and terrestrial bioacoustic research in the lab, in the forest and in the ocean. Quite a few attendees were from Asia at the series of biosonar symposiums in 1991 Moscow, in 1994 Harderwijk, and in 1998 Algarve, but the symposium held in 2009 Kyoto accommodated nearly 200 international specialists and half of them were Asian. An example of his influence was the towed and fixed passive acoustic monitoring in the Yangtze River, China, which revealed a range-wide distribution of finless porpoises collaborating with an international team. These techniques were applied later in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Nepal, Taiwan, Hongkong, and many other areas including Japan for the impact assessment of offshore wind farm developments. We owe him all the outcomes of underwater biosonar studies in Asia.