Passive Sonar Equation-Based Marine Mammal Detection Probability Modeling

Unknown or variable detection ranges are one of the obstacles to address before being able to derive accurate animal abundance and density estimations from acoustic data alone. Many factors can influence the capability of a device to detect acoustically active animals, and assessing the ability of detectors to receive and identify acoustic cues should therefore be an essential step prior to any passive acoustic study, especially as it may influence the reliability of results and interpretation of the data. This chapter describes a passive sonar equation-based detection probability model. This passive sonar equation-based model uses state-of-the-art propagation model BELLHOP to simulate the propagation of a specie-specific cue around a given detector. The model, handled by a standalone graphical user interface, allows users to specify environment parameters and source properties. Other environment features, bathymetry and ocean properties, are, respectively, queried from GEBCO_2021 global grid and online Copernicus models. The set of parameters is then used to estimate a detection probability map. The overall objective of the model is to provide any researcher using passive acoustic monitoring with a detection probability specific to their location and their species of interest.