Methods for Logging Baleen Whales SWFSC

Cory Hom-Weaver

Step 1: Open Matlab and Set the Path

  • Currently we are using Matlab 2023a

  • Click on the home tab ->Environment->Set Path

  • Click “Add folder with Subfolders…”

  • Browse to the folder containing Triton-R2020

  • Click “Save” and then “Close

Step 2: Open Triton

  • Start Matlab and at the command prompt type ‘triton’ and press enter to run the application

  • Three windows will be displayed: Plot, Control, & Message…

Step 3: Add Logger Remora

  • In the control window (upper left hand window) click on ‘Remoras’ then ’Add Remora.”

  • Browse to the folder containing Triton->Remoras->Logger. Highlight this folder and click ‘Select Folder’

  • A new window pop up asking to restart Triton, click ‘Yes’

  • You will only need to add the Remora once. Triton should remember this once you have added it. It will prompt you to restart Triton at this time.

Step 4: Open an LTSA

  • Click File->Open LTSA

  • Browse to the LTSA you wish to use for your log (they may vary depending on the species you are logging). Blue and Fin whales were logged using 500Hz LTSAs

  • When it opens the plot and control windows may look something like this

Step 5: Set Parameters

  • If you are logging duty cycled data you will want to be looking at around 1 hour at a time. Set the plot length accordingly.

  • If you are logging continuous data then plot length should be 1

  • Make sure you start logging as close to the start of the hour as possible

  • Brightness should be from 0-10dB

  • Contrast should be around 100dB

  • Depending on the species you will want to adjust your upper frequency bounds.

    • For blue and fin whales you can look at 0-150Hz

Step 6: Create a New Log

  • Click on Remoras->Log->New Log

  • Enter in the name of the log and direct Triton to save it in the folder with the LTSA

  • Name your log with the Cruise_Year_Drift_#_Species_Log

    • Ex: CCES_2018_Drift_07_BlueWhale_Log

Step 7: Set the deployment metadata

  • Type your initials in the ‘User ID’ tab

  • Type the project name in the ‘Project’ tab

  • Type in the Drift number in “Deployment’ and ‘Site’ tabs

  • Then select your start time on the LTSA.

    • Remember to make sure to start as close to the hour as possible
    • Click ‘Set deployment metadata’

Step 8: Setting up logging options

  • Check ‘All’ under the logging options

    • You can double click the “All’ button to expand it and check off specific species if you want.

  • Under Granularity select ‘binned’

  • Under time in minutes type ’60

  • Click ‘Set Effort’

    • NOTE: Although your log is open in the background do not make changes to it. If you need to make a change to your spreadsheet you must end your logging session and then open the spreadsheet to make changes.

Step 9: Scrolling and looking for calls

  • Use the arrows on the LTSA to scroll back and forward in time

  • Look for spikes of energy in the LTSA

    • These are Blue whale D calls with low frequency noise

Step 10: Zooming in on a sound

  • When you see a spike of energy that you want to investigate click on the ‘Expand’ button to open the associated wav file

  • Then click on the part of the LTSA that you want to look at in more detail

Step 11: Adjust Spectrogram Parameters

  • Set the plot length to 120 s. If it wont let you set it that high then use the back arrow to scroll to the beginning of the wav file

  • Set the Plot Freq End to 200 Hz. We are looking for calls generally below 100 Hz.

  • FFT will vary depending on the frequency range you are looking at. For blue and fin whales we will use 512

  • Set %Overlap to 90

  • Brightness should be between 0-10dB

  • Contrast should be around 100%dB

Now you Triton windows should look something like this

Step 12: Logging your first sound

  • Go through each hour of recordings and look for calls made by the species of interest (i.e. blue whale A, B and D calls)

  • We will be binning call types by the hour

  • When you find your first call we you click on the corresponding drop down for group and species

  • Then check off the first call of that type you have seen in that hour

  • Click on the call and then click on “pick start”

  • *In the comments please note the quality of the call (1-3) followed by the quality of the recordings (G or B). PLEASE SEPARATE USING A “,” (comma)

    • 1=low SNR (signal to noise ratio)
    • 2=medium SNR
    • 3=high SNR
    • G=good and can use auto-detector
    • B=bad and cannot use auto-detector

  • Click log to save the information to the spreadsheet

    • *See more on this on following slides

Unsure about the species or call type?

  • Listen to the sound. Does is sound like the call type you are logging?

  • Check in with Cory or Shannon. If they are busy or aren’t sure of the call type either then…

  • Save the image and audio

  • In the comments box type “poss call type” (ie poss B call) after the SNR of the call and the G/B recording. Separate these using a comma. We will review these later

    • Ie : 3, G, poss B call

Examples of SNR 1 Calls

Examples of SNR 2 Calls

Examples of SNR 3 Calls

Examples of B(bad) Recordings

Examples of G(good) Recordings

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