IN2021_V01 (TEMPO): 460 Hours of Antarctic Sonobuoy Recordings

251 sonobuoy deployments during the 2021 RV Investigator voyage collected approximately 460 hours of underwater acoustic recordings. The data includes Antarctic krill 3D coordinates and marine mammal vocalizations, such as those from blue and sperm whales. The voyage, part of the TEMPO survey, was conducted by the Marine National Facility between 29 January and 24 March 2021.

Use Cases

• Detect and classify marine mammal species based on recorded vocalizations.
• Analyze the spatial distribution of Antarctic krill using the 3D coordinate data.
• Study ocean noise and ambient soundscapes in the Southern Ocean.
• Correlate acoustic predator presence with krill abundance for ecosystem monitoring.

Strengths

• Approximately 460 hours of acoustic recordings from a dedicated research voyage.
• Data collection targeted multiple whale and seal species, as listed in the description.
• Deployment of 251 sonobuoys provides systematic spatial coverage along the voyage track.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic/temporal bias inherent to data_gov_au.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network via the Marine National Facility RV Investigator.

Collection Method

Acoustic data collected using Directional Frequency Analysis and Recording (DIFAR) sonobuoys deployed at 30 nmi intervals.

Time Range

29 January to 24 March 2021 (AEST).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-18 17:58:47.499283; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Voyage from Hobart (TAS) to Hobart, covering the Australian Antarctic Territory region.