Good practice guidelines for long-term ecoacoustic monitoring in the UK

Metcalf, O; Abrahams, C; Ashington, B; Baker, E; Bradfer-Lawrence, T; Browning, E; Carruthers-Jones, J; Darby, J; Dick, J; Eldridge, A; Elliott, D; Heath, B; Howden-Leach, P; Johnston, A; Alexander, L; Meyer, CFJ; Ruiz Arana, U; Smith, S

Abstract

The popularity of ecoacoustics as an innovative environmental discipline has enjoyed immense
growth within the last five years, to a point where it is now becoming difficult to keep up with
all the new research papers published. What soon becomes apparent, however, is a lack of
consensus on which recording and analysis protocols to follow; partly a result of the differing
requirements of each research project, but also an historical artefact of the tropical origins
of much of this research. As more acoustic long-term monitoring schemes start to become
established throughout the UK and neighbouring countries there arises a need to adopt a more
common set of protocols, more akin to our temperate conditions, to allow for valid future analysis
and comparison. To that end a group of ecoacoustic researchers and practitioners met in June
2022 to discuss the formulation of such a set. This work was then taken forward by the authors to
generate the guidelines contained herein.
Digital technologies now allow us the ability to record our acoustic environments widely, with
relative ease; and to subject the resulting recordings to an ever-expanding range of analytical
methods. This opens up the potential to create new approaches to gauging biodiversity and
assessing the changing fortunes of species and their habitats. To maximise these benefits it
is vitally important that we secure now, and into the future, data which will illustrate baseline
assessments and highlight change. These guidelines therefore provide welcome instruction and
conformity, particularly for those new to ecoacoustics. Please use them, as appropriate, to help
guide your own contributions to the growing awareness, and use, of sound as an environmental
metric within the UK and Europe.

Citation

Metcalf, O., Abrahams, C., Ashington, B., Baker, E., Bradfer-Lawrence, T., Browning, E., …Smith, S. Good practice guidelines for long-term ecoacoustic monitoring in the UK

• Report Type: Technical Report
• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 20, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 20, 2023
• Publisher URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/368683386_Good_practice_guidelines_for_long-term_ecoacoustic_monitoring_in_the_UK
• Additional Information: Funders : UK Acoustics Network;Manchester Metropolitan University;Baker Consulting Ltd; Grant Number: EP/V007866/1