Bioacoustics
Bioacoustics is the study of sound in relation to animals. Bioacoustic monitoring has been transformed by the latest generation of supersensitive digital audio recorders. Researchers at the BTO, which is pioneering the tech in the UK, say that it’s like having “digital ears”. The devices are simply left out in the field to record and store ambient sounds, such as the vocalisations of birds, bats or crickets. The great advantage is that you can record 24/7 (and in awkward or remote locations), then later analyse the data by computer.