Submission Type
Poster
Abstract
Organisms can create sound for many different reasons, and as such, soundscapes (the collection of all sounds in a habitat) can tell us about the biotic activity in an environment based on the quantity and characteristics of sounds being produced. Freshwater soundscapes are generally understudied compared to terrestrial soundscapes. A wide variety of species are active and vocalize in freshwater environments, and studying patterns within these soundscapes can give insight on broader ecosystem health. We explored diel and seasonal patterns in a pond in Western NY by applying the acoustic diversity index (ADI) to underwater recordings from April and July 2024. Based on the index values, we located times in recordings from each day when acoustic activity changed significantly, and examined these times in RavenPro. We noted all sounds that were audible and visible on the spectrogram, as well as compared total sounds to total unique sounds with the index values. We will report our investigation of the efficacy of the index (which was originally designed for application to terrestrial soundscapes) in freshwater contexts. With our notes on unique sounds, we’re developing a sound library that will further aid us in finding patterns in acoustic activity.
Recommended Citation
Armpriest, Bryan; Stancliffe, Katelyn; Tessier, Anna; Tucci, Maya; and Hannam, Kristina, "040 - Hearing Fresh(water) Voices: Exploring Pond Soundscapes in Western New York" (2025). GREAT Day Posters. 13.
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/great-day-symposium/great-day-2025/posters-2025/13
040 - Hearing Fresh(water) Voices: Exploring Pond Soundscapes in Western New York
Organisms can create sound for many different reasons, and as such, soundscapes (the collection of all sounds in a habitat) can tell us about the biotic activity in an environment based on the quantity and characteristics of sounds being produced. Freshwater soundscapes are generally understudied compared to terrestrial soundscapes. A wide variety of species are active and vocalize in freshwater environments, and studying patterns within these soundscapes can give insight on broader ecosystem health. We explored diel and seasonal patterns in a pond in Western NY by applying the acoustic diversity index (ADI) to underwater recordings from April and July 2024. Based on the index values, we located times in recordings from each day when acoustic activity changed significantly, and examined these times in RavenPro. We noted all sounds that were audible and visible on the spectrogram, as well as compared total sounds to total unique sounds with the index values. We will report our investigation of the efficacy of the index (which was originally designed for application to terrestrial soundscapes) in freshwater contexts. With our notes on unique sounds, we’re developing a sound library that will further aid us in finding patterns in acoustic activity.
Comments
Sponsored by Kristina Hannam