The world is full of sounds that carry
essential information - for people and wildlife.
Understanding how sounds influence behaviors and interactions
with the environment is paramount to the field of acoustic
ecology. Studying acoustic ecology can stem from different
perspectives with important links between them. The study of
acoustic environments reveals cues that are available and the
condition of the sensory environment. The study of sensory
systems document how cues are obtained by anatomical
structures, processed by neurological pathways, and ultimately
perceived by the listener. Understanding why and how sounds
are advantageous to an animal are discovered through the study
of the functions of sound. Because animals rely on sound to
make decisions for survival - including habitat selection,
species recognition, foraging, and risk assessment,
understanding the consequences of a noisy world is a rapidly
increasing field of research. Integrating sensory ecology into
resource management is challenging given the diversity of
species' responses and complexity of measuring sensory
environments. To advance the application of acoustic ecology
into conservation strategies, understanding the underlying
mechanisms for a response provides a framework for evaluating
mitigation options. Further, initiatives already underway that
incorporate acoustic ecology into resource management provide
key insight on the benefits and challenges.
Because so many animals make and use sound for different
behaviors, acoustic monitoring is a powerful technology to
study fundamental questions in biology, ecology, and
conservation. There is a growing need for soundscape
measurements to aid in biodiversity assessments and, given the
diversity of sounds in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, the
concept is promising. The literature is rich with examples at
local and regional scales. Applying these methods at scales
relevant to understanding the impacts of global change on
biodiversity loss will require advances in methodology. Also,
thinking of these methods from a sensory perspective can offer
a practical approach. Soundscapes provide a unique window into
an ecosystem with a view of the biotic, abiotic, and
anthropogenic features. Developing methods to characterize
these features more holistically will advance acoustic
monitoring as a tool for comprehensive assessment of ecosystem
dynamics.
About the Speaker:
Dr. Megan McKenna is an acoustic ecologist
interested in how sound shapes the world around us. Dr.
McKenna has applied acoustic methods to a variety of
ecological questions - from blue whales to giant sequoia
forests. Her research interests include understanding the role
of sensory environments (sound and light) on ecological
interactions, finding opportunities to protect and enhance
sensory environments in coupled human-natural systems, and
leveraging acoustic methods to study biodiversity at scale.
Dr. McKenna has collaborated with multiple government
agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions
to understand acoustic environments all over North America.
She has helped develop international standards and served on
several national and international working groups and
committees to understand and manage acoustic impacts on
wildlife.
Dr. McKenna is currently a researcher at Hopkins Marine
Station of Stanford University as well as a researcher and
educator with the California Ocean Alliance. She previously
worked as an ecologist with the National Park Service, Natural
Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, assisting
national parks with understanding and protecting acoustic and
nocturnal environments. Dr. McKenna received her PhD in
Biological Oceanography from Scripps Institution of
Oceanography at University of California San Diego in 2011 and
her MS in Evolutionary Biology from San Diego State
University. Prior to joining the park service, she was a
National Academy of Sciences postdoctoral fellow at the Marine
Mammal Commission in Washington, DC and a postdoctoral
researcher with Cascadia Research Collective in Olympia, WA.