Killer whales, blind bats, discriminating dolphins, ma...( June 25 2008 -- Meek and mighty anim...)

June 25, 2008 -- Meek and mighty animal sounds are all around us. In a few weeks, some of the most interesting among them will be discussed and heard at the largest meeting ever devoted to acoustical science, the Acoustics '08 Paris meeting, to be held Monday June 30 through Friday July 4 at the Palais de Congrs in Paris, France.

Animal bioacoustics is just one dimension of Acoustics '08 Paris. It is the field within acoustical science devoted to such things as analyzing the sounds of animals near and far -- the laughing, whooping, and groaning sounds of hyenas, for instance, or the chirp of birdsongs. Another hot area within animal bioacoustics is how sonar and other human sounds affect marine and land animals.

Some of the most interesting animal sounds are those we cannot hear -- like the croaks made by a rare species of frog that communicates ultrasonically or the high-pitched noises bats use to find their way through the dark. Acoustical research helps us better understand the wide world of nature, and it is also guiding the development of new technologies that will improve many people's lives, such as a new sonar device to help the blind navigate their environment.

This news release highlights just a few of the animal bioacoustic talks at Acoustics '08 Paris. More details on the other 3,500 presentations at the meeting and instructions for journalists who wish to cover the meeting are contained at the bottom of this release.

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS RELEASE

1) How Noise Affects Marine Mammals
2) Birds Changing Their Tune
3) Hyena Giggles and Groans
4) Chinese Frogs Go Ultrasonic
5) Better Recording of Animals in the Wild
6) Bats Can Direct Their "Gaze"
7) How Bats Compensate for Ranging Errors
8) A Sonar System for the Blind
9) Taking Aural Cues from Flipper
10) Acoustic Techniques for Monitoring Bird Migration
11) Conservation and the Tiger's Roar