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Scott Veirs edited this page Aug 15, 2024 · 29 revisions

Welcome to the orcanode wiki, a subset of the top-level Orcasound organizational wiki.

Here we provide some bioacoustic context for the open source code in this repository built by the Orcasound community, as well as technical details to support the use of our free code for passive acoustic monitoring and the deployment of low-cost hydrophones to accelerate marine bioacoustics, science, and conservation. For details about the ongoing development of the code and to contribute, please see the README and Issues.

Motivation for orcanode

The orcanode code was first written in 2018 to generate a live audio stream for monitoring the critical habitat of the Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) within the inland waters of Washington (USA) at three locations. Short-term goals for this repo include: using free open source tools like ffmpeg as much as possible; providing data in formats like HLS and DASH that optimize playback on any combination of operating system, device, and browser in the Orcasound web app (production site | orcasite source code); and, utilizing low-cost cloud-based storage and operations to make reuse of our free open source code more economical.

A longer-term goal is to increase our collective listening capabilities throughout the range of the SRKWs, from Monterey Bay in California (USA) to Haida Gwaii in British Columbia (Canada) at the border with Southeast Alaska. Luckily, there is a growing suite of hydrophones (underwater microphones) deployed in this part of the northeast Pacific ocean that are capable of streaming data live or in near real time. We maintain a shared Google map of live hydrophones in the NE Pacific, especially across the SRKW range, as well as links to potential live or near real time data sources.

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USA data sources

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  • Three 2023 production nodes:

  • Three 2023 development nodes: Point Robinson (Vashon Island), north San Juan Channel, and the MaST Center (Redondo Beach)

  • SRKW monitoring (outer coast, US)

    • Oregon coast OOI/RSN nodes
      • Eventually we should build a separate page for all OOI/RSN hydrophones of interest, but for now:

      • Karan's 2022 GSoC project for Orcasound: increase access to OOI hydrophones

      • OOI Regional Cabled Array map:

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Canadian data sources

In addition to distilled links and resources below, see this Orcasound blog post with shortcuts to 24/7 cabled hydrophone deployments in BC, Canada.

Software and open data

Live streaming

Playback of archived data

  • orca-hls-utils -- package for streaming live Orcasound data or archived HLS segments from a past datetime range

Open access data

Hardware and field deployment

At Orcasound we strive to be open about our hardware innovations, as well as software ones. So, in this section, you can find practical information about how to add different kinds of nodes to marine bioacoustic networks.

Hydrophones and data acquisition hardware

CRT SQ26-08 power via the Pisound ADC

Hydrophone deployment guides, tips, and tricks

Orcasound deployment strategies

Dock-of-convenience techniques

Deployments that leverage existing structures

Examples: Port Townsend, Seattle Aquarium, Neah Bay, Bush Point, MaST Center, Sunset Bay

The Labcore-40 hydrophone deployed from 2007-2011 at the Seattle Aquarium was one of our longest-lasting hardware configurations. The hydrophone was simply dangled between two of the pilings underneath the outer section of the pier with the computer getting power and internet access in the non-public "breezeway." The only failure there occurred when Scott waited too long to de-foul the cable and it broke from the weight of anemones and mussels! Here are a few record shots:

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Crack-of-convenience techniques

Deployment through high-energy rocky intertidal environments

Based on ~20 years experience from Val Veirs at Orcasound Lab (and previous lessons taught at Lime Kiln by Professor Neptune during winter quarter...

Examples: Orcasound Lab, Lime Kiln, North San Juan Channel

Trenching techniques

Deployment through sandy/gravel intertidal environments

Experimental techniques

A catalog of other deployment strategies and ideas

  1. Clothesline technique
  2. Buoyed solutions (link to Bainbridge project?)

Tips & tricks

  • Paul Spong's garden hose trick
    • Ask Paul/Dave for a photo from Johnstone Strait (including any connection to the hydrophone and deployment methods sub- and inter-tidal)
    • Synopsis of 1st experiment at Orcasound Lab
    • Synopsis of 1st experiment at Sunset Bay
  • Sea to Shore philosophy and approach: invest in cable that will last indefinitely! (e.g. ~$4k of cable per node, proven to last 5-10y in deep ocean)
  • DFO tactic (described by James Pilkington): (HTI?) cable within braided hose, within ~0.5cm thick spiral chafe guard (e.g. polyethelene NEXwrap), within leaded line to create
  • Panty hose trick for flow noise reduction
    • Orcasound coat-hanger technique
    • CRT 3D-printed cage
  • Lon's saltwater-ground method (to reduce 60Hz hum from nearby AC power systems)