About DOSITS

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The Discovery of Sound in the Sea website will introduce you to the science and uses of Sound in the Sea. There are several major sections on the site such as The Science of Sound in the Sea, People and Sound in the Sea, and Animals and Sound in the Sea. You will find the site’s Audio Gallery a fascinating place to visit where you can listen to underwater sounds created by marine animals, human activities, and natural phenomena such as lightning, earthquakes, and rain. Check out the Technology Gallery and discover a variety of equipment that uses sound to investigate the ocean. Watch video interviews with scientists that study how marine animals produce and hear sounds. Investigate how scientists use underwater acoustics to track ocean currents, identify potential obstacles, and quantify fish distributions. There are also resources for many specialized audiences, including teachers, students, the media, and decision makers.

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea website focuses on acoustics in the ocean. However, much of the information about sound in the ocean and underwater bioacoustics are true for all aquatic environments.

The Discovery of Sound in the Sea website has been developed by the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) in partnership with Inspire Environmental of Newport, RI. Many other people contributed to the site, including independent scientific reviewers and ten Rhode Island school teachers. This site and its resources were developed and produced with funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, U.S. National Science Foundation, U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the E&P Sound & Marine Life Joint Industry Programme, and the International Association of Geophysical Contractors. Other contributors are acknowledged below.

Special thanks go to Dr. Peter Worcester who conceptualized the DOSITS website in 2000 and has been instrumental in the project’s growth and success. As the lead member of the DOSITS Advisory Panel until 2018, Dr. Worcester has contributed substantially to the foundational content of the website, particularly the Science of Sound in the Sea and Advanced Topic web pages. He has been a driving force to develop rigorous, peer-reviewed content, working long hours with the DOSITS team to transform complex scientific concepts into text that can be grasped by all readers, embracing the DOSITS motto of “accurate, if not necessarily complete.” As a highly respected researcher with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Dr. Worcester has spent many years in the field conducting low-frequency, long-range acoustic experiments. He has brought his real-world experiences to the DOSITS project, providing the team with cutting edge knowledge of the latest research, as well as gorgeous photographs of his adventures.

Graduate School of Oceanography Team

  • Gail Scowcroft, Project Director
  • Liesl Hotaling, Marine Research Associate

Inspire Environmental

  • Dr. Kathleen Vigness Raposa, Marine Biologist
  • Ellen Bellagamba Fucile, Reporting Manager
  • João Kastrup, Data Analyst

Scientific Advisory Panel Members

(please see below for a complete list of scientific reviewers)

  • Dr. Elizabeth Henderson, US Naval Warfare Center (NIWC), Readiness Branch
  • Dr. Darlene Ketten, Jefferson Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Dept. of State, Harvard University Medical School, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Dr. James Miller, University of Rhode Island
  • Dr. Arthur Popper, University of Maryland*
  • Dr. Joseph Sisneros, University of Washington
  • Dr. Aaron Thode, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Dr. Klaus Lucke, German Environmental Agency

Designates Core Advisory Panel Members
* Designates Emeritus Members

Awards

Discovery of Sound in the Sea was awarded the Acoustical Society of America’s 2007 Science Writing Award in Acoustics for Media other than Articles.

Scientific Reviewers

We strive to provide accurate scientific information throughout this website.

All DOSITS content is based on well-understood scientific principles, peer-reviewed literature, and high quality sources of scientific data. Independent researchers who specialize in various aspects of underwater acoustics have reviewed each section of the site. We appreciate their efforts in helping make this site a valuable resource for regulators, teachers, students and the general public. The University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography and Marine Acoustics, Inc. made all final decisions on the site content. We gratefully acknowledge the following scientists for their comments and suggestions:

  • Kyler Abernathy, National Geographic Society
  • Dr. James Andrews, Oceanit
  • Dr. Jay Barlow, NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center
  • Dana Belden, Office of Naval Research
  • Dr. Catherine Berchok, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, F.V. Hunt Fellow
  • Dr. Carmen Bazua Duran, National Autonomous University (Mexico)
  • Dr. Gregor Cailliet, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
  • Dr. Danielle Cholewiak, NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC
  • Dr. Gerald D’Spain, Scripps Institute of Oceanography
  • Dr. Megan Ferguson, NOAA Fisheries Southwest Fisheries Science Center
  • Dr. Michael Fine, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Dr. Kurt Fristrup, National Park Service
  • Dr. Jason Gedamke, Australian Marine Mammal Center/Australian Antarctic Division
  • Dr. Roger Gentry, ProScience Consulting
  • Dr. Leila Hatch, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary
  • Dr. Sean Hayes, NOAA Fisheries SWFSC, Fisheries Ecology Division
  • Dr. Darlene Ketten, Jefferson Science Fellow, National Academy of Sciences and U.S. Dept. of State, Harvard University Medical School, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Tom Kieckhefer, Pacific Cetacean Group
  • Dr. Ellen Livingston, Office of Naval Research
  • James Locascio, University of South Florida
  • Dr. James Lynch, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Dr. Peter Madsen, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Dr. David Mann, University of South Florida
  • Dr. Dave Mellinger, NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
  • Dr. Jennifer Miksis-Olds, Pennsylvania State University
  • Dr. James Miller, University of Rhode Island
  • Dr. Douglas Nowacek, Duke University
  • Dr. Susan Parks, Pennsylvania State University
  • Dr. Sheila Patek, University of Massachusetts
  • Dr. Arthur Popper, University of Maryland
  • Dr. Joy S. Reidenberg, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Dr. Denise Risch, NOAA Fisheries/NEFSC, Passive Acoustics Program
  • Dr. Louise Roberts, University of Liverpool
  • Dr. Thomas Rossby, University of Rhode Island
  • Dr. Rodney Rountree, University of Massachusetts Amherst/Marine Ecology and Technology Applications, Inc.
  • Dr. Laela Sayigh, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Dr. Peter Scheifele, University of Cincinnati
  • Dr. Ari Shapiro, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Dr. Mike Simpkins, NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs
  • Dr. Raymond Soukup, Office of Naval Research
  • Dr. Brandon Southall, Southall Environmental Associates/Long Marine Lab, University of California, Santa Cruz
  • Dr. Kate Stafford, University of Washington Applied Physics Lab
  • Dr. Ian Stirling, Environment Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service
  • Dr. John Terhune, University of New Brunswick
  • Dr. Maya Tolstoy, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
  • Dr. Sofie van Parijs, NOAA Fisheries Northeast Fisheries Science Center
  • Dr. Jacqueline Webb, University of Rhode Island
  • Dr. Peter Worcester, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Rhode Island School Teachers

  • Janet Alden, Babcock Middle School
  • Howard Chun, Cranston High School East
  • Nancy Lee Craven, adjunct at the University of Rhode Island and Bryant College
  • Elizabeth D’Abbraccio, East Greenwich & Jamestown Public Schools
  • Lee Ann DiSalvia McWeeney, Metcalf School
  • Vicky Flaherty, Prudence Island Elementary School
  • Diane Mayers, Citizens Memorial School
  • Glen Modica, Cranston High School East
  • Debbie O’Hara, Tiverton Elementary Schools
  • Sarah Quan, Narragansett High School
Row 1 (front): Sarah Quan, Vicky Flaherty, Elizabeth D'Abbraccio Row 2 (back): Glen Modica, Debbie O'Hara, Nancy Lee Craven, Howie Chun, Janet Alden, Lee Ann DiSalvia McWeeney, Diane Mayers

Row 1 (front): Sarah Quan, Vicky Flaherty, Elizabeth D’Abbraccio Row 2 (back): Glen Modica, Debbie O’Hara, Nancy Lee Craven, Howie Chun, Janet Alden, Lee Ann DiSalvia McWeeney, Diane Mayers

Acknowledgements

This site has been enhanced by the work and generous contributions from the following individuals and organizations:

  • Lizanne Barnaba
  • Theresa Baus, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport
  • Rebecca Briggs
  • Peter Cook
  • Michael Duarte, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport
  • Fred Dutton, Sonatech, Inc.
  • Dale Green, Benthos, Inc.
  • Jo Guerrero
  • Kevin Hardy, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
  • Jill Johnen
  • Grace Kamitakahara, Institute of Ocean Sciences
  • Andrea Kecskes
  • Tom Kieckhefer
  • Amy Knowlton, New England Aquarium
  • Heather Leba
  • Mark McDonald, Whale Acoustics
  • Jim Miller, University of Rhode Island
  • Luke Morris, Lowrance Electronics Inc.
  • Mike Mulroney, University of Rhode Island
  • Sheila Patek, University of Massachusetts, Department of Biology
  • Raymond Soukup, Office of Naval Research
  • Michel Versluis, University of Twente
  • Jacqueline Webb, University of Rhode Island