Detection, classification, and density estimation of marine mammals: final report

Abstract

Detection, classification, and localization (DCL) research on marine mammal vocalizations has been in development for decades, and methods for marine mammal population density estimation using acoustic data have been in development since at least 2007. These efforts have been supported by MobySound, an archive of cetacean sounds used for studying call detection and localization that are annotated to facilitate research in DCL. This project was aimed to begin development of high‐performing automatic detection methods for the sounds of beaked whales and other odontocetes. Specifically, this report [1] details the newly collected odontocete recordings that have been added to the MobySound archive; [2] documents continuing development of methods for detection and classification, including improvements to the Energy Ratio Mapping Algorithm (ERMA) method for use on gliders and its extension to new species and populations; [3] reports on application of a newly developed method for population density estimation to field recordings; and [4] also reports on the successful production of datasets focused on odontocete whistles and clicks and baleen whale calls for the Fifth Workshop on Detection, Classification, Localization, and Density Estimation of Marine Mammals using Passive Acoustics.