Abstract
A methodology for the analysis of soundscapes was developed in an attempt to facilitate efficient and accurate soundscape comparisons across time and space. The methodology consists of a collection of traditional soundscape metrics, statistical measures, and acoustic indices that were selected to quantify several salient properties of marine soundscapes: amplitude, impulsiveness, periodicity, and uniformity. The metrics were calculated over approximately 30 h of semi-continuous passive acoustic data gathered in seven unique acoustic environments. The resultant metric values were compared toa prioridescriptions and cross-examined statistically to determine which combination most effectively captured the characteristics of the representative soundscapes. The best measures of amplitude, impulsiveness, periodicity, and uniformity were determined to be SPLrms and SPLpk for amplitude, kurtosis for impulsiveness, an autocorrelation based metric for periodicity, and the Dissimilarity index for uniformity. The metrics were combined to form the proposed “Soundscape Code,” which allows for rapid multidimensional and direct comparisons of salient soundscape properties across time and space. This initial characterization will aid in directing further analyses and guiding subsequent assessments to understand soundscape dynamics.
Highlights
Ocean sound conveys a wealth of information due to the highly efficient manner in which acoustic energy travels through the water
A collection of metrics was applied to a series of unique soundscapes to identify the optimal suite of metrics for capturing the salient soundscape characteristics, which enables quick and simple quantitative comparisons of soundscapes
Soundscape codes comprised of the optimal metrics indicated dominant signal frequencies and salient differences in acoustic environments (Figure 11)
Summary
Ocean sound conveys a wealth of information due to the highly efficient manner in which acoustic energy travels through the water. Studying ambient ocean sound provides information on vocalizing marine life, ocean dynamics, and human use of the ocean (Hildebrand, 2009; Pijanowski et al, 2011; Howe et al, 2019). EOVs are approved based on three considerations: (1) relevance in helping solve scientific questions and addressing societal needs, (2) contributions to improving marine resource management, and (3) feasibility for global observation regarding cost effectiveness, Quantitative Soundscape Analysis technology, and human capabilities. In the context of ocean sound, inclusion in the GOOS framework provides a formal structure for recording ocean sound. Implementation of the ocean sound EOV will help to guide scientific data collection to ensure consistency and appropriate comparisons in soundscape analysis and ocean sound studies
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