title: A Permanent Automated Real-Time Passive Acoustic Monitoring System for Bottlenose Dolphin Conservation in the Mediterranean Sea.
abstract: Within the framework of the EU Life+ project named LIFE09 NAT/IT/000190 ARION, a permanent automated real-time passive acoustic monitoring system for the improvement of the conservation status of the transient and resident population of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) has been implemented and installed in the Portofino Marine Protected Area (MPA), Ligurian Sea. The system is able to detect the simultaneous presence of dolphins and boats in the area and to give their position in real time. This information is used to prevent collisions by diffusing warning messages to all the categories involved (tourists, professional fishermen and so on). The system consists of two gps-synchronized acoustic units, based on a particular type of marine buoy (elastic beacon), deployed about 1 km off the Portofino headland. Each one is equipped with a four-hydrophone array and an onboard acquisition system which can record the typical social communication whistles emitted by the dolphins and the sound emitted by boat engines. Signals are pre-filtered, digitized and then broadcast to the ground station via wi-fi. The raw data are elaborated to get the direction of the acoustic target to each unit, and hence the position of dolphins and boats in real time by triangulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brunoldi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bozzini
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Casale
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Corvisiero
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicodemo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Magnoli
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Alessi
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo Nike
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mandich
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Morri
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Povero
authors.affiliation: Department of the Earth, Environment and Life Science, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Maurizio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wurtz
authors.affiliation: SOFTECO Sismat S.r.l, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Melchiorre
authors.affiliation: SOFTECO Sismat S.r.l, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Viano
authors.affiliation: Area Marina Protetta di Portofino, Ministry for the Environment and for the Protection of Territory and Sea, Santa Margherita Ligure, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cappanera
authors.affiliation: Area Marina Protetta di Portofino, Ministry for the Environment and for the Protection of Territory and Sea, Santa Margherita Ligure, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fanciulli
authors.affiliation: Direzione Marittima di Genova, Ministry for the Infrastructures and Transport, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bei
authors.affiliation: Direzione Marittima di Genova, Ministry for the Infrastructures and Transport, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Stasi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Genova, Genova, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taiuti
mesh_terms: D000162:Acoustics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D000818:Animals; D050681:Bottle-Nosed Dolphin / Q000502:physiology*; D003199:Computer Systems; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods; D008522:Mediterranean Sea; D012767:Ships; D013018:Sound Spectrography / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology*