Chiroptera Bioacoustics Laboratory
The Chiroptera Bioacoustics Laboratory (CBL) at Gotham Bat Conservancy is dedicated to exploring the nuances of bat communication and echolocation. Using acoustic monitoring technology, we can study bat movement patterns, distribution, and behavior. Our laboratory plays a pivotal role in both conservation efforts and advancing scientific knowledge by investigating how bats respond to environmental changes such as urbanization, energy development, habitat fragmentation, and other stressors. We aim to apply our findings to both the protection of bat species and the enhanced knowledge and understanding of these animals.
Laboratory Director:
Ryan Mahoney
Key Contributors:
Roxanne Quilty - Field Coordinator
Julia Kramer - Field Scientist
Beth Crane - Software Engineer
Dan Holodak - Software Developer
Goals of the Bioacoustics Laboratory
Species Identification:
Identifying and differentiating between bat species by analyzing their unique echolocation calls, contributing to species conservation and monitoring efforts.
Call Analysis: Each bat species produces distinct echolocation calls that differ in frequency, duration, and modulation. The lab will develop and maintain a detailed call library for all bat species native to New York and the Northeast. This will enable accurate identification of species in different habitats in urban environments or more remote forested areas.
Species Monitoring: Through ongoing species identification, the lab will contribute to conservation efforts by tracking endangered or vulnerable species. Timely identification of these species will support targeted conservation measures, such as the protection of critical habitats or the installation of artificial roosts.
Research Collaboration: The lab collaborates with local conservationists, wildlife biologists, and organizations to contribute data on species distribution and behavior, integrating this information into broader conservation databases like the Bat Acoustic Monitoring Portal (BatAMP) and the North American Bat Monitoring Program (NABat).
Population Monitoring:
Monitoring bat populations using acoustic data to understand trends over time and assess the effects of urban development, climate change, and disease.
Long-Term Monitoring: Establishing a network of long-term acoustic monitoring stations in key habitats such as urban parks, forests, and suburban areas. These stations continuously record bat activity to track population dynamics throughout the year, including during migration and breeding seasons.
Data Integration: Combining acoustic data with environmental datasets (e.g., temperature, humidity, habitat type) to study correlations between bat activity and environmental conditions. This provides insights into how factors like climate change or deforestation impact bat populations over time.
Human-Wildlife Interaction: The lab focuses on how urban development, noise, and light pollution influence bat populations. This research will help city planners mitigate negative impacts, such as providing recommendations for bat-friendly green spaces or the strategic placement of artificial roosts in urban areas.
Disease Impact: Acoustic monitoring will help track populations affected by diseases such as White-Nose Syndrome (WNS), which has devastated bat colonies in the northeast. By comparing bat call frequency and intensity in affected and unaffected populations, the lab can assess the spread of the disease and its impact on bat foraging and navigation behaviors.
Public Outreach and Data Visualization:
Engaging with the public and conservationists by creating accessible tools like interactive spectrograms, sound maps, and data visualizations that demonstrate bat activity in real time.
Spectrograms: The lab will maintain an online catalog of spectrograms, allowing the public to view and explore bat calls visually. These tools will help non-specialists better understand the complexities of echolocation, as well as demonstrate the diversity of bat species in their area.
Maps: The lab will generate and continually update maps that display bat activity across New York City and surrounding areas. Users will be able to see where bats are most active, the species present, and how their activity changes over time. These maps will help raise awareness of local bat populations and conservation needs.
Programs and Research Areas
City Parks Acoustic Monitoring: This research area centers around utilizing acoustic technology to monitor bat populations within city parks and other urban green spaces. The focus is on understanding the diversity, abundance, and behavior of bat species in response to urban pressures to support UBCL goals.
Species Movement and Distribution: Exploring how bats move between urban, suburban, and rural areas, investigating the factors that influence their migration, dispersal, and seasonal movements. The goal is to understand how urbanization impacts bat migration and species distribution.
Broadscale Acoustic Surveys: Conduct extensive acoustic surveys across a range of habitats—from dense urban centers to rural woodlands—to assess bat populations on a large scale. These surveys are designed to provide a comprehensive overview of species richness, abundance, and health across varied landscapes.
Echolocation and Communication: Focus on how bats communicate and echolocate in different environments. CBEL investigates how urban noise and artificial lighting influence bat echolocation and social calls, as well as how bats adapt their communication in response to these challenges compared to forest-dwelling bat populations.