Aditya Krishna

Mary Gates Research Scholar, Winter 2022

Research Project: Investigation of Duty Cycles in Passive Acoustic Bat Monitoring

Project Description: Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is a technique to monitor wildlife by setting up stationary microphones to record their acoustic activity. When PAM is conducted over months or years, recording at intervals (i.e., subsampling based on duty cycles) can help alleviate data management costs and has been widely investigated in bird monitoring literature. However, such subsampling can also impact the trends in activity that can be observed from collected data. Our goal is to understand how this subsampling can impact the conclusions we can gather from passive acoustic bat monitoring. Doing so, we can better aid in the design of efficient, long-term bat acoustic monitoring projects.

What have you learned throughout your research project?

Throughout my research, I have gotten the chance to become very familiar with the bioacoustics and wildlife monitoring space. I have conducted field research, experimented with computational algorithms, and read papers to understand the physics and biology behind echolocation in wildlife. Just as I’ve been open to learn, I am also thankful for the mentors who have been open to teach me.

What piece of advice do you have for future applicants?

Find and communicate with mentors who take time to understand you. They will help you the most in your application process. Most often, they have been in your position and know exactly how to help you express yourself in your journey.