Using the sounds of nature to assess the condition of habitats and species
Welcome to Eco-Acoustic
Eco-acoustic is the in-house team at Baker Consultants that specialises in exploring the natural and man-made sounds within our environment. By utilizing the sounds of nature as valuable data on wildlife and landscapes, we assess the condition of habitats and species. Thanks to rapid advancements in machine learning technology and the availability of low-cost programmable recorders, ecoacoustics has emerged as a rapidly expanding and powerful tool for surveying and monitoring biodiversity.
Harnessing Innovative Technology for Farming, Viticulture, Rewilding, Conservation, and Biodiversity
At Eco-acoustic, our approach relies on automated recording devices and refined analysis software to remotely capture and evaluate soundscapes. This method, known as “Passive Acoustic Monitoring,” offers numerous advantages over traditional survey techniques:
- Minimized surveyor bias
- Enables surveys of remote and challenging-to-access areas
- Reduces human impact on study sites
- Enables data capture day and night
- Facilitates the collection of large quantities of data
- Cost-effective and repeatable
- Applicable above ground, in water, and within soils
Acoustic monitoring methods now provide rapid and reliable data for monitoring the health of ecosystems across diverse settings. Our services find applications in various sectors, including agriculture, viticulture, rewilding, and other conservation and biodiversity monitoring projects.
Cutting-edge services for Environmental Essessment
Our experienced team at Eco-acoustic has developed a comprehensive set of survey and assessment techniques designed to measure biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and soil environments. Through the application of advanced technology and scientific expertise, we deliver precise and reliable data on the health of ecosystems and the condition of habitats and species. Our services cover a wide range of ecological components, including birds, insects, amphibians, mammals, and complex ecosystems.
Who we are
Ecoacoustic is Baker Consultants Ltd dedicated team of ecoacousticians established to promote the use of bio- & eco-acoustic techniques across the ecological and agri-environment sectors. Over the last fifteen years, our experienced team has developed a range of cutting-edge survey and assessment techniques for measuring the biodiversity above ground, in freshwater and in soils. Originally, our use of bioacoustics was confined to surveying bats using high frequency detectors. Over the decades we have developed a wide range of ecoacoustic techniques which can be used for surveying and monitoring birds, insects, amphibians, mammals, entire ecosystems, ponds and even soils.
Our Team
The Eco-acoustic team is committed to promoting the use of acoustic techniques within the ecological and agri-environment sectors. With over fifteen years of experience, our team has pioneered cutting-edge survey and assessment techniques for measuring biodiversity in terrestrial, freshwater, and soil environments. Our methods cater to a wide range of surveying and monitoring needs, covering birds, insects, amphibians, mammals, and complex ecosystems.
Baker Consultants Ltd stands out as a company with a unique advantage: a highly qualified ecoacoustic team proficient in processing large volumes of biological acoustic data. We strive to make a lasting impact on the understanding and conservation of our natural world through the innovative application of ecoacoustics.
Dr Carlos Abrahams
Our ecoacoustics team is headed up by Dr Carlos Abrahams. Carlos was awarded his PhD (by publication) for a series of peer review ecoacoustic papers.
Carlos has assisted in the development of new guidance on the use of ecoacoustics for bird surveys, developing guidance of ecoacoustics monitoring and developing ecoacoustics as a means of monitoring soil health.
Dr Abrahams has also contributed to many reports in the use of ecoacoustics including a JNCC report “Realising the potential for acoustic monitoring to address environmental policy needs” and a NERC funded report “Developing technologies for Agri-environment monitoring”.
Karthik Ashok
He is joined by Karthik Ashok database developer and draws on the combined experience of Baker Consultants ecology team.
Get in touch
with us
+44 (0)1629 593958
ecoacoustics@bakerconsultants.co.uk
West Platform,
Cromford Station,
Cromford Bridge,
Matlock,
Derbyshire,
DE4 5JJ