A deep neural network was developed and trained to identify the sounds of pomacentrids (damselfishes) in the National Park of American Samoa. Four years of continuous, passive acoustic data were recorded by a single stationary hydrophone. Deep neural networks enable the full utilization of such large datasets by automating laborious...
The marine environment is under increasing pressure from human activities worldwide, particularly in coastal waters, creating a need to better understand fine-scale distributions of highly mobile species that occur in the area, as they are frequently most threatened. Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) occur frequently in Oregon’s nearshore habitat, but due...
Describes an investigation of a dam at a millpond near the village of Chitwood, Oregon. The dam was on Haxel Creek, a tributary of Thornton Creek, a tributary of the Yaquina River. Includes a hand-drawn map of the area.
Anthropogenic activities have posed many threats to the oceans and marine life. Understanding how individuals are affected and physiologically respond to these threats is crucial and allows for management and conservation applications. I evaluated the overall health condition of a subpopulation of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) along the Oregon coast,...
The North Energy Test Site (NETS) is PMEC’s non-grid connected, open ocean test site located approximately 4.6 km (2.5 nautical miles) off Yaquina Head, north of Newport, Oregon. The site is about 3.4 km2 (1 square nautical mile) and ranges in depth from 45 - 55 meters. It has a...
Passive acoustic monitoring is a valuable tool for observing the status of marine environments. Comparisons of underwater soundscapes over temporal and spatial scales can provide data to inform marine conservation efforts, including protection of threatened and endangered species. This dissertation utilizes passive acoustic data collected via a broadly spaced array...
The demand for clean renewable energy sources is increasing worldwide and the state of Oregon hopes to establish itself as a leader in ocean wave energy research and development. Seven coastal counties have been selected as potential offshore sites for wave energy parks, and Tillamook County has been identified for...
In 2009 two calibrated acoustic recorders were deployed in polar waters of the North Atlantic to study the seasonal occurrence of blue, fin, and sperm whales and to assess current ambient noise levels. Sounds from these cetaceans were recorded at both locations in most months of the year. During the...
West Mata is a 1200 m deep submarine volcano where explosive boninite eruptions were observed in 2009. The acoustic signatures from the volcano’s summit eruptive vents Hades and Prometheus were recorded with an in situ (~25 m range) hydrophone during ROV dives in May 2009 and with local (~5 km...
Volcanic eruptions are important events in Earth’s cycle of magma generation and crustal construction. Over durations of hours to years, eruptions produce new deposits of lava and/or fragmentary ejecta, transfer heat and magmatic volatiles from Earth’s interior to the overlying air or seawater, and significantly modify the landscape and perturb...