'Bringing ecology and computer science together is key to protecting biodiversity.'
The spark
'Sound is all around us, yet overlooked. I wondered what we might discover through continuously listening to the bush when no one is there.'
Research aim
'I want to understand nature through sound.'
Real-world implications
'I want to build tools and techniques to measure biodiversity through sound recording, and to thereby help protect and conserve our natural heritage.'
The challenge
'In the next five years I want to transform our understanding of the natural environment through ubiquitous ecoacoustic monitoring, which provides a direct, objective and archival record at a continental scale.'
Key collaborators
'My ecoacoustics research is only possible through unique collaborations between ecologists, data scientists and computer scientists. But more than just enabling the research, collaboration makes the research meaningful and enjoyable. Equally vital are our partnerships with other organisations and landholders across Australia, and I particularly value partnering with Traditional Custodians of the land.'
Key achievements
- The creation of the Australian Acoustic Observatory
- Demonstrating the viability of ecoacoustics for widescale biodiversity monitoring
- The creation of new ways to visualise and understand long duration natural soundscapes
Key publications
Roe, P., Eichinski, P., Fuller, R. A., McDonald, P. G., Schwarzkopf, L., Towsey, M., Truskinger, A., Tucker, D., & Watson, D. M. (2021). The Australian Acoustic Observatory. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 12, 1802– 1808. https://doi.org/10.1111/2041-210X.13660
Law, B., Kerr, I., Gonsalves, L., Brassil, T., Eichinski, P., Truskinger, A., & Roe, P. (2022). Mini-acoustic sensors reveal occupancy and threats to koalas Phascolarctos cinereus in private native forests. Journal of Applied Ecology, 59, 835– 846. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14099
Jason Wimmer, Michael Towsey, Birgit Planitz, Ian Williamson, Paul Roe, Analysing environmental acoustic data through collaboration and automation, Future Generation Computer Systems, Volume 29, Issue 2, 2013, Pages 560-568, ISSN 0167-739X, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.future.2012.03.004