Orcasound is a cooperative network that connects users to live hydrophones, allowing them to listen to underwater sounds and monitor marine life, particularly the Southern Resident killer whales. By providing open-source software and hardware, Orcasound facilitates community engagement in marine conservation and bioacoustics research.
Funding
Funding not disclosed
Founders
Product
Problem
Monitoring marine life, particularly endangered species like the Southern Resident killer whales, requires specialized equipment and expertise, limiting the scope and accessibility of conservation efforts. Traditional bioacoustic research often relies on expensive, fixed hydrophone locations, hindering real-time data collection and community involvement.
Solution
Orcasound is a cooperative network that democratizes marine bioacoustics by connecting users to a distributed network of live hydrophones. Through open-source software and hardware, Orcasound enables real-time underwater sound monitoring, allowing anyone to listen for whales and other marine life. The platform facilitates community engagement in marine conservation by providing tools to identify and report interesting sounds, contributing to a richer understanding of the acoustic environment. Orcasound's accessible technology empowers researchers, conservationists, and citizen scientists to collaborate on studying and protecting marine ecosystems.
Target Audience
Orcasound's primary users include marine researchers, conservation organizations, educators, and citizen scientists interested in monitoring and protecting marine life through bioacoustics.
Features
- Live audio streams from a network of underwater hydrophones
- Interactive map displaying hydrophone locations
- Open-source software and hardware designs for hydrophone deployment
- Tools for identifying and reporting whale sounds and other marine bioacoustics
- Real-time notifications when whales are detected by listeners or AI
- Community platform for sharing observations and research findings