This course will provide basics knowledge in marine and terrestrial bioacoustics. It will provide key points in acoustic communication, natural and athropogenic sounds recording and analysis, man-made noise and communication. There will be hands-on sessions with use of recording hardware and analysis software.
Course Prerequisites
Basics of Physics, with focus on: - physics of waves; frequency, intensity, propagation. Fundamentals of Zoology and Ethology. Key concepts will anyway be provided during lessons.
Teaching Methods
Frontal lessons with ppt slides, references and examples of ongoing researches; and practical sessions in classroom with microphones, analog to digitals converters, sound visualization and analysis software. Experts will be invited for insight in instruments setup and use, soundscape analysis thecniques, signal processing approach and possibilities.
Assessment Methods
In-person oral exam session. Candidates are free to choose traditional exhamination (direct questions) or to propose their favourite subject (simple research simulation) as a base for comments and questions.
Texts
Reference text not available at the moment. Online resources and generic acoustics book will be suggested. Slides will be made available.
Contents
The physics of sound
Animals' acoustic communication. How signals are made, evolution of signal production, which information acoustic signals carry.
Bioacoustics and research: acoustics census, acoustic ethology, acoustic complexity indexes.
Sound propagation and basics of acoustic oceanography.
Soundscapes.
Ecoacoustics: acoustic adaptation to the environment, interaction between anthropogenic noise and acoustic communication.
Anthropogenic sound mitigation techniques.
Acoustic hardware: microphones, hydrophones, analog to digital conterters.
Principles of sound digitalization and analysis.
Sound analysis software: use and functions.
Course Language
Italian
More information
During practical sessions the SeaPro sound analysis software, developed by Gianni Pavan, will be made available for students. Other free to download analysis software will be listed.
