The use of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) is becoming an increasingly important tool in both marine mammal research and applied in industry.

It is important that individuals using any passive acoustic monitoring software are properly trained to use the software to maximise its full potential. Feedback from users is also important in the ongoing development of such software.

PAMGUARD is currently funded by the OGP E&P Sound and Marine Life Joint Industry Program, and has been established to address the fundamental limitations of existing cetacean passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) software capabilities. PAMGUARD seeks to provide open-source PAM software based on a platform-independent (e.g. Windows or Linux), flexible, modular architecture. The open-source aspect of software development is facilitated through the project's presence on SourceForge, where a community of altruistic developers provides extra resources. This community currently includes developers with proven PAM experience from both the UK and the USA. Open development means that the software is free and access to the code is easy and assured. It also allows the code's copyright to be protected in perpetuity so that it cannot readily be closed and commercialised to the detriment of its users. It ultimately means that more people have access for development. This generally speeds up innovations and improves the performance and maintainability of the code.

SMRU Ltd are running a PAMGUARD Training course on the 13^th and 14^th May, in St Andrews. There are still some places available on this course.

The course will be lead by Dr Doug Gillespie of St Andrews University, one of the principle architects of the Pamguard software.

If you are interested in attending the course please see the Pamguard website for further details:

http://www.pamguard.org/training.shtml

or email info@smru.co.uk

Best wishes

Beth

Dr Beth Mackey

SMRU Limited

Scottish Oceans Institute

New Technology Centre

North Haugh

ST ANDREWS

Fife KY16 9SR

D: + 44 (0)1334 466906

T: + 44 (0)1334 479100

F: + 44 (0)1334 477878

W: www.smru.co.uk

http://soi.st-andrews.ac.uk

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