Project objective
This project combines the latest research within bioacoustics with advanced drone technology. Back2Nature uses SDU's unique expertise within bioacoustics and drone technology to develop the means of studying the echo-localisation systems of bats and whales in their natural environment.
The project aims to study the behaviour of bats and whales in their natural habitats through tools developed in Back2Nature with particular emphasis on how they react to man-made structures and noise sources. There are numerous technical and biological problems currently involved in obtaining usable data for our research. They are what the project is designed to tackle. Consequently, there is considerable need for designing suitable experiments to answer questions that are key to the conservation of echo-locating animals, and for technical expertise to analyse the data (acoustic and video), such as automatic registration of animals, measuring movement and acoustic output.
Project output
The project will develop new methods for surveillance in the wild, and the results will be of considerable interest to nature preservation agencies all over the world. The project is already in dialogue with the Danish Environmental Protection Agency on collaboration. Many aspects of the project are also extremely relevant to the fisheries and wind turbine industries, and the insight gained will have major influence on both.
Contact
Work package leader: Lasse Jakobsen, assistant professor, Department of Biology
Partners
John Hallam, Professor, Center for BioRobotics, The Maersk Mc-Kinney Moller Insitute
Magnus Wahlberg, Associate professor, Department of Biology.