Whale Conservation & Localization Tool

This tool addresses a critical challenge in marine conservation: human-generated underwater noise from offshore wind energy and naval sonar is interfering with whale communication and migration patterns.

Purpose:

The preprocessing pipeline converts acoustic data from Raven Pro into standardized formats suitable for Source Bearing Estimation (SBE) localization analysis. This enables marine biologists and researchers to accurately track whale movements and understand the impact of anthropogenic noise on marine ecosystems.

Technical Implementation:

The system processes timestamped acoustic data and multichannel audio files, transforming them into the standardized info_N and sound_N.wav files required for Time-Delay-of-Arrival (TDOA) analysis. Key capabilities include:

• Multi-channel Support - Handles multiple receiver channels and vocalization annotations • Dynamic Configuration - Uses flexible settings files for experiment-specific parameters • Frequency Analysis - Computes accurate frequency bounds while resolving data inconsistencies • Cross-platform Compatibility - Works seamlessly on both Windows and Linux environments • Audio Processing - Extracts sample rates directly from audio files for precise analysis

Research Impact:

This preprocessing pipeline supports oceanographic efforts to map whale movement patterns in the context of increased underwater noise pollution. The resulting data enables whale conservation initiatives, sustainable offshore development planning, and marine spatial management.

Collaborative Development:

Originally developed by Yu Shiu at Cornell University, the tool was significantly enhanced for cross-platform compatibility, improved functionality, and greater flexibility in handling diverse experimental setups.

This work represents the intersection of signal processing, marine biology, and environmental conservation, demonstrating how technical tools can directly support wildlife protection efforts.