Projects

Empowering Marine Stakeholders

SoundSpace Analytics software and data processing tools help organizations with a stake in marine environments understand ocean soundscapes in real-time.

Ships, Whales & Acoustics in Gitga’at Territory

The BC Hydrophone Network

Ships, Whales & Acoustics in Gitga’at Territory

The SWAG project is an acoustic monitoring initiative between the Gitga'at First Nation, WWF-Canada, and the North Coast Cetacean Society (NCCS). Since 2017, the SWAG project has been deploying an array of four hydrophones with the goal of mitigating the impacts shipping has on marine wildlife in Gitga'at Territory.

SoundSpace Analytics developed custom-tailored algorithms that acoustically detect and classify whales and track their movement within a 200 square kilometer monitoring range. A fast and fully autonomous data flow delivers results to local stakeholders in near-real time. SoundSpace also developed customized metrics combining cetacean activity with ambient sound levels and vessel activity to assess impact of shipping on whale populations.

To date, Soundspace tools have processed over 2100 days of hydrophone recordings for this project.

The BC Hydrophone Network

The BC Hydrophone Network (BCHN) is a collaboration of First Nation communities and NGOs. The Network builds, maintains, and contributes to a shared, coast-wide acoustic information system that generates data for research, management, and stewardship purposes to better understand whales and the habitat they depend on to ensure their long-term recovery and survival.

SoundSpace Analytics provides specialized software packages to the Network for analyzing the acoustic presence of whales and monitoring sounds levels in various ocean environments. Results are delivered through conventional reports and a web-based application to visualize ocean metrics to a broad audience of scientists, marine stewards, and community members. With a lifetime license, the BCHN can now use all software components to process ocean acoustic data quickly, cost-effectively, and on-site facilitating a continuous, long-term monitoring design.

To date, SoundSpace tools have processed over 3000 days of hydrophone recordings for this project.

Project Partners