2022 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Citibats: Citizen science-based bat monitoring project in Japan and Korea
| Project/Area Number |
22F22100
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| Allocation Type | Single-year Grants |
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| Research Institution | Kyoto University |
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Principal Investigator |
小山 里奈 京都大学, 情報学研究科, 准教授 (50378832)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
RYU HEUNGJIN 京都大学, 情報学研究科, 外国人特別研究員
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| Project Period (FY) |
2022-11-16 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | Citizen science / Network / Bat survey / Bioacoustics / Sea |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
Since November 1st, I have been working to establish human networks and apply for the necessary paperwork for my citizen-science-based bat survey project in Japan and Korea. As a result, I have been able to establish a network with a transport company that runs a ferry between Japan and Korea. I also established some networks with fishermen who work on Tsushima Island and own their ships. They will conduct bat bioacoustics surveys on the sea from May until the end of October. I also tested the feasibility of using a drone survey with a thermo-camera. As a result, I was able to confirm that it would be possible to use a drone for the survey. However, I found that normal drones produce ultrasonic noise. Therefore, they will not be suitable for surveys for bat activity estimation or population size estimation. Instead, they will be helpful in finding bat roost sites or breeding colonies located in remote areas where humans cannot easily access. I also established domestic research networks with Japanese researchers at the University of Human Environments and Nagasaki University. They will also join the project as advisors and collaborators. We will share survey data for better understanding of Japanese bat distribution and local diversity.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Since I started my project, it has been progressing as planned. However, as citizens (humans) will participate in the project, it was quite difficult to prepare the necessary documents and process them. Other than such paperwork, my project is going smoothly by establishing proper working networks for the project.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
This year, I will start my surveys as I will have received approval from the human research ethics committees. I am also planning to attend an international conference in Korea to introduce my project to more researchers and expand my collaboration networks in Korea and Japan.
- For land-based surveys, we will recruit potential bat survey participants from the general public in various regions of Japan via the Internet and publicity posters. Participants in the Korean survey will be recruited from participants in citizen science projects by Donga Science.
- For sea surveys, we will recruit participants mainly from fishing companies and fishermen introduced by my co-researchers at Nagasaki University and a company located in Tsushima. Citizen participants in the sea surveys will be trained on site when I installed the recorders.
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