Autonomous Recording Unit
Encyclopedia
An autonomous recording unit (ARU) is a self-contained audio recording
device that is deployed in marine
or terrestrial environments for bioacoustical
monitoring. It typically consists of several components:
ARUs are used to monitor a wide array of wildlife, including Humpback Whales
, and they have been deployed in the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
.
Field recording
Field recording is the term used for an audio recording produced outside of a recording studio. The recording is typically recorded in the same channel format as the desired result, for instance, stereo recording equipment will yield a stereo product...
device that is deployed in marine
Marine ecosystem
Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems. They include oceans, salt marsh and intertidal ecology, estuaries and lagoons, mangroves and coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine...
or terrestrial environments for bioacoustical
Bioacoustics
Bioacoustics is a cross-disciplinary science that combines biology and acoustics. Usually it refers to the investigation of sound production, dispersion through elastic media, and reception in animals, including humans. This involves neurophysiological and anatomical basis of sound production and...
monitoring. It typically consists of several components:
- microphone
- amplifier and associated digital electronics and software
- digital storage device
ARUs are used to monitor a wide array of wildlife, including Humpback Whales
Humpback Whale
The humpback whale is a species of baleen whale. One of the larger rorqual species, adults range in length from and weigh approximately . The humpback has a distinctive body shape, with unusually long pectoral fins and a knobbly head. It is an acrobatic animal, often breaching and slapping the...
, and they have been deployed in the search for the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
Ivory-billed Woodpecker
The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is or was one of the largest woodpeckers in the world, at roughly 20 inches in length and 30 inches in wingspan. It was native to the virgin forests of the southeastern United States...
.