These Incidental Take Authorizations are issued under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. We also are responsible for authorizing the “take” of marine mammals that can result from the sounds produced by human activities. Through consultations under the ESA, we develop biological opinions to determine how the actions of federal agencies may affect ESA-listed species and critical habitat. After the pilot project, they hope to obtain additional funding and build a prototype sound exhibit.Among many efforts to protect marine species, NOAA Fisheries administers the Endangered Species Act to recover threatened and endangered species and prevent their extinction. Plans are underway for similar focus groups at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Discovery Center and the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.Īll this feedback will reveal what works best for their target audience, Bellona said, helping the team develop educational design guidelines. The feedback sessions included visits to the Atlanta Aquarium and the Eugene Science Center. They also conducted online surveys and are now testing their sound exhibits at informal learning facilities. The research team solicited ideas from teachers and students at schools for the blind in Massachussets, Washington and Texas. In addition to the carbon dioxide flux example, Bellona has sonified data nuggets from an underwater volcanic eruption, Tropical Storm Hermine and zooplankton reacting to a solar eclipse. For example, genetic researchers and astronomers use it to listen for patterns that can’t be seen in massive data sets. ![]() Sonified data also can help scientists make new discoveries. Bellona added that informal learning environments are designed to reach the general public and get kids excited about science, which makes their accessibility mission even more compelling. Sonification makes learning more accessible for visitors who are blind or have low vision, helps promote data literacy, and reaches those who face challenges interpreting visual information. But they’re limited to music, ambient noises or narration that enhances the experience without conveying quantitative information.īy sonifying discrete data sets that demonstrate scientific concepts - the research team calls these “data nuggets” - they hope to gain insights into what works for students and encourage science centers, aquariums and museums to add more sound exhibits. Many science exhibits incorporate sound, Bellona said. “This interdisciplinary team has helped elevate the design and evaluation component, making our auditory displays more impactful out of the gate.” “It’s been awesome to have all these experts from different fields,” Bellona said. Leslie Smith is an oceanographer and science communicator in Tennessee who serves as executive director of Dive into the Ocean, Inc., an educational outreach organization. ![]() Team member Jessica Roberts, an assistant professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is a specialist in learning sciences and interactive technologies. A senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Bower also works with the Perkins School for the Blind in Massachusetts. A common example: The Geiger counter is one of the earliest sonification models that clicks at different speeds to indicate radiation levels.Īmy Bower, the principal investigator for the project titled “Accessible Oceans: Exploring Ocean Data Through Sound,” is an oceanographer who is legally blind. In collaboration with researchers from across the U.S., Bellona is exploring how informal learning institutions can put sound to work through a process called sonification. The slurping option wasn’t his first choice, but Bellona went with it based on feedback from children and adults who are blind or have limited-vision. Listening to both sounds at once offers insights into oceanography and climate change. When carbon dioxide gets absorbed, it sounds like Jell-O being slurped. Listen to the ocean breathe: CO2 auditory displayįor the sonic interpretation of carbon dioxide flux, Bellona made gas released from the ocean sound like wind that gets louder as the amount leaving the water increases. ![]() Accessible Oceans: Exploring Ocean Data Through Sound
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