A Sound Marine Environment
A project about underwater noise and harbour porpoises in the Bay of Aarhus
A project about underwater noise and harbour porpoises in the Bay of Aarhus
The ocean is not as quiet as one may think. It contains many natural sound sources: wind, waves and earthquakes; but also the sounds of many of its inhabitants: marine mammals, fish and invertebrates. As the human use of the oceans has increased so has new sound sources been added. These sources include ships, surveys for natural ressources, sonars and offshore construction works and because the noise can negatively affect the ecosystems in various ways, we must understand the nature of these effects in order to restore and maintain good environmental status in our seas.
At Aarhus University, within the Bioacoustics Research group, we have a long tradition for studies on how animals use sound to orient and communicate, but also how human-made noise affects the same animals. The Bioacoustics Research group is composed of people from Department of Ecoscience (under professor Jakob Tougaard) and people from Department of Biology (under professor Peter T. Madsen) and physically placed in the same builing on the main campus in Aarhus.
The project will study harbour porpoises in Bay of Aarhus with particular focus on how the human activities in the bay affects the distribution and behaviour of the porpoises. This will be done by deploying monitoring stations with passive acoustic listening devices that can detect and store the ultrasonic orientation sounds that porpoises emit almost continuously. These recording stations are able to detect porpoises day and night for extended periods of time (months), as long as the animals are within a few hundred meters of the recorder.
At Aarhus University, within the Bioacoustics Research group, we have a long tradition for studies on how animals use sound to orient and communicate, but also how human-made noise affects the same animals. The Bioacoustics Research group is composed of people from Department of Ecoscience (under professor Jakob Tougaard) and people from Department of Biology (under professor Peter T. Madsen) and physically placed in the same builing on the main campus in Aarhus.
The project will study harbour porpoises in Bay of Aarhus with particular focus on how the human activities in the bay affects the distribution and behaviour of the porpoises. This will be done by deploying monitoring stations with passive acoustic listening devices that can detect and store the ultrasonic orientation sounds that porpoises emit almost continuously. These recording stations are able to detect porpoises day and night for extended periods of time (months), as long as the animals are within a few hundred meters of the recorder.
Important for the project is to engage with stakeholders to increase awareness about ocean noise pollution and develop practical solutions to reduce the impact on the marine ecosystems.
Announcing two Ph.D. scholarships
Central in the project are two ph.d. projects: one centred on effects of smaller boats (small fishing vessels, recreational boats) and a second centred on larger ships. We are currently inviting strong candidates for these two Ph.D. projects. For technical reasons, one ph.d. will be housed at Department of Biology and the other at Department of Ecoscience but this will have no practical implications for daily life in the research group. However, to make the selection process simpler, applicants are encouraged to apply for both positions, preferably with identical applications. If you have a preference for one of the two PhD projects (larger vessels or recreational boats) you can indicate this in the application and elaborate on why in your cover letter.
Find more information and apply here: Ecoscience and here: Biology
Deadline is 1. May 2024. Applications received after this date will not be considered.
For more information contact Jakob Tougaard, see below
Find more information and apply here: Ecoscience and here: Biology
Deadline is 1. May 2024. Applications received after this date will not be considered.
For more information contact Jakob Tougaard, see below
