bioacustic

Bioacoustics, sometimes spelled bioacustic in some contexts, is the interdisciplinary study of how living organisms produce, transmit, receive, and respond to sound. It encompasses vocal communication, echolocation, and other acoustically mediated behaviors across animals, as well as the effects of sound on organisms and ecosystems. The field integrates biology, ecology, physiology, and environmental science, and it relies on methods from acoustics and signal processing.

Researchers study a wide range of taxa, including birds, bats, whales, dolphins, insects, and frogs. Vocal communication plays a key role in mating, territorial defense, and social organization, while echolocation and passive hearing aid navigation and prey detection. Acoustic ecology examines how organisms use, share, and are affected by sound in their environment.

Methods include field recordings with microphones, hydrophones to study underwater sounds, bat detectors, and automated recording units for long-term monitoring. Data are analyzed with spectrograms, acoustic indices, and machine learning to identify species, call types, and behavioral contexts. Bioacoustic monitoring supports biodiversity inventories, habitat assessment, and the evaluation of noise pollution impacts.

Applications include wildlife management, conservation planning, and environmental impact assessments, particularly in wetlands, forests, and urban areas. Challenges include background noise, variability in call structure, and the need for standardized protocols and reference datasets. Advances in sensors, data processing, and citizen science are expanding the scope and accessibility of bioacoustics.