Webinar Archive: Acoustic Sensing on Autonomous Underwater Platforms
Acoustic Sensing on Autonomous Underwater Platforms Overview
Please join us for a discussion on the use of fiber-optic cable networks as large-scale, dynamic acoustic arrays for observing ocean processes and marine life.
Acoustic Sensing on Autonomous Underwater Platforms – October 14, 2026
Dr. Lora Van Uffelen, Associate Professor, University of Rhode Island
Lora Van Uffelen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Ocean Engineering at the University of Rhode Island, with a joint appointment in the Graduate School of Oceanography. She earned her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. Dr. Van Uffelen’s research focuses broadly on acoustic propagation and the influence of oceanographic variability, with recent work centered on sound propagation in the Arctic. She leads the OPERA Lab (Ocean Platforms, Experiments, and Research in Acoustics), where she is particularly interested in acoustic receiving using mobile platforms and the use of long-range acoustic signals for underwater positioning. In addition to mentoring graduate students, she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses in underwater acoustics and ocean engineering.
Dr. Selene Fregosi, Assistant Professor, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University
Selene Fregosi is an Assistant Professor at the Marine Mammal Institute at Oregon State University, an affiliate with the NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center, and an Associate Scientist at Southall Environmental Associates, Inc. She is a bioacoustician whose research uses passive acoustic monitoring to understand marine mammal distribution, estimate populations, and examine behavior and responses to ocean noise. Dr. Fregosi’s primary research platforms are autonomous mobile systems such as underwater gliders and drifters—although she will happily search for whale calls in just about any recording that lands on her desk.