What is ecoacoustics?

Ecoacoustics is an interdisciplinary science that investigates natural and anthropogenic sounds and their relationship with the environment over a wide range of study scales, both spatial and temporal, including  populations, communities, and landscapes.  Ecoacoustics operates  in all types of terrestrial and aquatic (freshwater and marine) ecosystems extending the scope of  acoustics and bioacoustics.

Ecoacoustics  recognizes that sounds can be both the subject and tools of ecological research. As the subject, sounds are investigated in order to understand their evolution, functions and properties under environmental pressures. As tools, sounds are used to study and monitor animal diversity, abundance, behaviour, dynamics and distribution, and their relationship with ecosystems and the environment.

Photo by Gianni Pavan