Acoustical Ocean Ecology OverviewTeamProjectsPublicationsLatest NewsTechnologies In the ocean, most resources are unevenly distributed and highly dynamic. The Acoustical Ocean Ecology Group investigates how animals respond to constantly changing environments, including how animals find dinner without becoming dinner themselves and the way group behaviors like schooling or cooperation affect predator-prey interactions.To study the complex, four-dimensional interactions that occur beneath the water’s surface, we use acoustic technologies (often called sonar). This is a form of active acoustics, meaning we send out specific sound waves and then listen to how they reflect back, allowing us to “see” the locations and movements of animals beneath the ocean’s surface.Our lab also develops and applies new forms of active acoustic techniques and integrates established technologies into novel platforms. A big part of our work is to combine these tools with other techniques, including underwater cameras, environmental DNA (eDNA), animal tagging, and behavioral modeling.Through our efforts, we’re contributing to the understanding of how patchiness—the variability in resources over space—is critical to how animals from plankton to whales make a successful living. Team Directory Kelly Benoit-Bird Senior Scientist & Science Chair Principal Investigator Chad Waluk Research Specialist Paul McGill Senior Electrical Engineer John Ryan Senior Research Specialist William Oestreich Postdoctoral Fellow Projects All Projects Acoustic Fingerprinting Project Acoustic Fingerprinting Matching acoustic signatures to animals by cataloging the signatures of organisms like fish, squid, and gelatinous creatures. Acoustic Community Ecology Project Acoustic Community Ecology Acoustical analysis of different layers of animals in our ocean. Publications All Publications Urmy, S.S., and K.J. Benoit-Bird. 2021. Fear dynamically structures the ocean’s pelagic zone. Current Biology, 31: 5086–5092.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.003 Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811 Benoit-Bird, K.J., and C.M. Waluk. 2021. Remote acoustic detection and characterization of fish schooling behavior. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150: 4329–4342. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0007485 Benoit-Bird, K.J., and C.M. Waluk. 2020. Exploring the promise of broadband fisheries echosounders for species discrimination with quantitative assessment of data processing effects. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 147: 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0000594 Arranz, P., K.J. Benoit-Bird, A.S. Friedlander, E.L. Hazen, J.A. Goldbogen, A.K. Stimpert, S.L. DeRuiter, J. Calambokidis, B.L. Southall, A. Fahlman, and P.L. Tyack. 2019. Diving behavior and fine-scale kinematics of free-ranging Risso’s dolphins foraging in shallow and deep-water habitats. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00053 Latest News All News News Vertical migration timing illuminates importance of predator pressure in the ocean’s twilight zone News 06.21.21 News Acoustic award applauds scientist Kelly Benoit-Bird News 02.11.20 News Risso’s dolphins balance holding their breath and finding food Press Release 12.12.19 Technologies All Technologies Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Ventana Technology ROV Ventana A remotely operated vehicle equipped with a Sea-Bird 19plus V2 CTD package including a dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, and spatial lasers mounted on the main camera. Observatory, Cabled Observatory Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) Technology Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) MARS provides electrical power and data connections for new research instruments in the deep-sea. Vehicle, Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Wave Glider Technology Wave Glider An autonomous surface vehicle built by Liquid Robotics, purchased and outfitted with sensors and communications gear by MBARI engineering. Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class i2Map Technology i2Map An autonomous underwater vehicle with a high-resolution camera, downward and forward-looking acoustic transducers, and water chemistry sensors. Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Tethys Class Long Range AUV (LRAUV) Technology Long Range AUV (LRAUV) The long-range AUV (LRAUV) greatly expands the types of observations and experiments possible with autonomous platforms. Instrument MARS Echosounder Technology MARS Echosounder DEIMOS data helps researchers understand how animals in the open ocean respond to underwater events and processes. Instrument Echosounder Technology Echosounder An instrument that emits several sound frequencies from transducers, this device serves as both an underwater speaker and a microphone. Instrument Investigations of Imaging for Midwater Autonomous Platforms Technology Investigations of Imaging for Midwater Autonomous Platforms A high-resolution video camera in the nose cone of the Dorado autonomous underwater vehicle. Data All Data Sorry, no results were found.
Acoustic Fingerprinting Project Acoustic Fingerprinting Matching acoustic signatures to animals by cataloging the signatures of organisms like fish, squid, and gelatinous creatures.
Acoustic Community Ecology Project Acoustic Community Ecology Acoustical analysis of different layers of animals in our ocean.
Urmy, S.S., and K.J. Benoit-Bird. 2021. Fear dynamically structures the ocean’s pelagic zone. Current Biology, 31: 5086–5092.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.09.003
Zhang, Y., B. Kieft, B.W. Hobson, B.Y. Raanan, S. Urmy, K.J. Pitz, C.M. Preston, B. Roman, K.J. Benoit-Bird, J.M. Birch, F.P. Chavez, and C.A. Scholin. 2021. Persistent sampling of vertically migrating biological layers by an autonomous underwater vehicle within the beam of a seabed-mounted echosounder. IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, 46: 497–508. https://doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2020.2982811
Benoit-Bird, K.J., and C.M. Waluk. 2021. Remote acoustic detection and characterization of fish schooling behavior. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 150: 4329–4342. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0007485
Benoit-Bird, K.J., and C.M. Waluk. 2020. Exploring the promise of broadband fisheries echosounders for species discrimination with quantitative assessment of data processing effects. The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 147: 411–427. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0000594
Arranz, P., K.J. Benoit-Bird, A.S. Friedlander, E.L. Hazen, J.A. Goldbogen, A.K. Stimpert, S.L. DeRuiter, J. Calambokidis, B.L. Southall, A. Fahlman, and P.L. Tyack. 2019. Diving behavior and fine-scale kinematics of free-ranging Risso’s dolphins foraging in shallow and deep-water habitats. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 7: 1–15. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2019.00053
News Vertical migration timing illuminates importance of predator pressure in the ocean’s twilight zone News 06.21.21
Vehicle, Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) ROV Ventana Technology ROV Ventana A remotely operated vehicle equipped with a Sea-Bird 19plus V2 CTD package including a dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, and spatial lasers mounted on the main camera.
Observatory, Cabled Observatory Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) Technology Monterey Accelerated Research System (MARS) MARS provides electrical power and data connections for new research instruments in the deep-sea.
Vehicle, Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) Wave Glider Technology Wave Glider An autonomous surface vehicle built by Liquid Robotics, purchased and outfitted with sensors and communications gear by MBARI engineering.
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Dorado Class i2Map Technology i2Map An autonomous underwater vehicle with a high-resolution camera, downward and forward-looking acoustic transducers, and water chemistry sensors.
Vehicle, Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), Tethys Class Long Range AUV (LRAUV) Technology Long Range AUV (LRAUV) The long-range AUV (LRAUV) greatly expands the types of observations and experiments possible with autonomous platforms.
Instrument MARS Echosounder Technology MARS Echosounder DEIMOS data helps researchers understand how animals in the open ocean respond to underwater events and processes.
Instrument Echosounder Technology Echosounder An instrument that emits several sound frequencies from transducers, this device serves as both an underwater speaker and a microphone.
Instrument Investigations of Imaging for Midwater Autonomous Platforms Technology Investigations of Imaging for Midwater Autonomous Platforms A high-resolution video camera in the nose cone of the Dorado autonomous underwater vehicle.