2023 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
Citizen science-based bat monitoring project in Japan and Korea
| Project/Area Number |
22KF0213
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| Allocation Type | Multi-year Fund |
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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) |
2023-03-08 – 2025-03-31
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| Keywords | citizen science / echolocation / bioacoustics / bats / Kyoto / Tsushima |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In 2023, we spearheaded two distinct surveys involving 20 citizen participants in Kyoto and the Korean Strait. The first, an urban survey, entailed conducting a bioacoustic survey on foot in Kyoto, approximately an hour after sunset. The second, a sea survey, involved deploying unmanned recorders on fishing vessels and a ferry to investigate bat migration over the sea between Japan and South Korea.
These surveys yielded fruitful results, with successful recordings of 3 to 4 bat species in Kyoto, 4 to 6 species along the coastlines, and one species over the sea. Preliminary data analysis also suggested variations in emergence times among different bat species in coastal areas and skewed bat emergence locations in Kyoto. Additionally, the establishment of networks in Tsushima Island and Kyoto for these surveys was a significant achievement.
In conjunction with data collection, we secured a research grant from Wildlife Acoustics Inc., USA. They provided five Song Meter Mini Bat devices, which were utilized to collect bat echolocation calls over the sea on the fishing vessels. Despite losing two devices due to a typhoon in August, we managed to collect over 400GB of recordings. The support from JSPS, coupled with the invaluable assistance from Wildlife Acoustics Inc., significantly contributed to the success of this project.
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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
The project’s progress was also largely thanks to the assistance from the staffs and other members at the host university. Their support ensured that the project proceeded as planned. All necessary research permits were obtained in a timely manner, and data collection involving citizens was executed effectively. This collaborative effort was instrumental in the smooth execution of the project.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
This year, we will continue the urban survey in Kyoto from July to October, aiming to investigate potential annual variations in bat emergence and diversity within Japan’s urban areas. However, due to budget constraints, the continuation of the sea survey may not be feasible this year.
In the interim, before the surveys for this year start, we plan to explore why bats are utilizing coastal areas and why certain bat species are only detected during specific months in Kyoto. This investigation will involve analyzing variations in echolocation calls, including feeding buzzes and social calls. Factors such as insect availability and thermal preference could significantly influence the emergence times and locations of different bat species. Therefore, a thorough investigation of references and publicly available datasets will be conducted. This research will provide valuable insights into the behavior and preferences of bats, contributing to our understanding of their patterns and aiding in the development of effective conservation strategies.
One of the most critical objectives for this year is the development of a tool to manage the large volume of data collected last year. Given the size of the data, the implementation of new methods, such as deep learning or algorithm-based approaches, is necessary. This endeavor will be undertaken in collaboration with both internal and external researchers.
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