The Bioacoustics' Contribution to Biodiversity Conservation: Unraveling Nature's Subtle Signals

Written by Sarya Gulec

Regarding preserving biodiversity, scientists have looked to a surprising collaborator: sound. Bioacoustics research endeavors aimed at deciphering the role of sound in biology are now changing the face of conservation by providing researchers with a non-invasive method for eavesdropping on ecosystems. This observation and interpretation of the voices of birds, insects, frogs, toads, and sea mammals provide information on species' behavioral dynamics, population wellness, and environmental modification. This article explains how bioacoustics is being applied in monitoring biodiversity, recognizing threats, and guiding conservation planning.

Bioacoustics employs highly sensitive microphones and sensors to capture natural sounds in thick rainforests, deep oceans, and other places. These recordings are subsequently analyzed with the assistance of AI and machine learning for species identification and population dynamics changes, as well as for studying human impacts on ecosystems. For instance, reduced occurrences of specific frog calls in tropical rainforests are indicative of habitat loss, whereas an increase in the number of whale calls in sea habitats is a sign of changes in migration routes because of global warming.

Most of the species are shy or occupy inaccessible habitats, and thus, conventional methods of monitoring cannot be used. Bioacoustics enables the scientists to monitor these species for weeks without interfering with their activities. An example is where biologist Jenna Lawson has comprehensively surveyed, using acoustics, the highly secretive Geoffroy's spider monkeys in Costa Rica's Osa Peninsula by anchoring 350 audio monitors into the trees. AI processed recorded data to track monkey calls and the journey of such animals, highlighting important concerns over the highly prized wildlife sanctuary of Costa Rica and demanding urgent AI-facilitated wildlife monitoring.

The soundscape, or the variety of sounds in a given environment, reflects the health of an ecosystem. A diverse, rich soundscape with a lot of bird calls and insect hums indicates a healthy, thriving ecosystem, but loss of biodiversity can also be indicated through sound complexity. Conservationists use these findings in assessing the success of habitat restoration programs. In Costa Rica, researchers like Monica Retamosa are employing bioacoustics to monitor ecosystems, providing useful data on species like the bellbird, which informs conservation work. 

Poaching and deforestation are likely to occur in inaccessible regions where direct supervision is not possible. With the deployment of bioacoustic sensors within protected forests, researchers can record live sounds of chainsaw engines or gunshot sounds, allowing authorities sufficient time to intervene on the issue. This has already been implemented in regions like the Amazon Rainforest to prevent illegal utilization.

Species vocalization pattern shifts could be the initial cue of climate change effects. To illustrate, bioacoustics has shown that some bird species have started singing at changed frequencies or changed times during the day based on rising temperatures. Such shifts can interfere with breeding patterns as well as with food webs and destabilize the ecosystem.

The incorporation of AI into bioacoustics has greatly improved the field. For example, Dr. Julie Oswald of the University of St Andrews' Scottish Oceans Institute created an AI system called Rocca, a real-time odontocete call classification algorithm. Rocca sorts out dolphin calls based on species and regional variations using machine learning, thus avoiding the hundreds of distinct sounds dolphins utilize for communication. This device greatly simplifies the analysis, very much in comparison to the previous very laborious examination of recordings on hydrophones. 

Some challenges facing bioacoustics involve working with abundant data that need hardcore computational analysis, as well as distinguishing between sounds that overlap each other. With advanced AI and cloud computing, however, efficiency in the analysis of sounds will be enhanced in the immediate future. In the immediate future, with an integration of bioacoustics with other conservation technologies like remote sensing and genetic monitoring, even more insights may be derived in biodiversity conservation.

Bioacoustics is revolutionizing conservation, enabling scientists to "hear" in ways never before possible. The technology records quiet sounds in an environment, and it is a great way to monitor threatened species, follow environmental degradation, and assess the effects of climate change. As technology improves, bioacoustics will have an even larger part to play in preserving the world's biodiversity.

References:

1. Biological Recording. (2024, December 11). How can we use sound to measure biodiversity? https://biologicalrecording.co.uk/2024/07/09/bioacoustics-1/

2. Castro, G. (2025, February 25). Costa Rica is saving forest ecosystems by listening to them. WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/costa-rica-forest-conservation-sounds/

3. MÜLLER, J., MITESSER, O., & SCHAEFER, H. M. (2023, October 17). Soundscapes and deep learning enable tracking biodiversity recovery in tropical forests. Nature. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41693-w

4. O'BRIEN M. (2024, December 23). AI will eavesdrop on world's wildest places to track and help protect endangered wildlife. AP News. https://apnews.com/article/artificial-intelligence-spider-monkey-tracking-9e863fa6c873ecbf8441b33272ccfed2