Form and function in aquatic bioacoustics An international SNAK Ph. D. course 26 February - 2 March, 2007 Aarhus University, University of Southern Denmark, and Fjord & Bælt, Denmark 3 ECTS points Course description: This class focuses on underwater bio-acoustical techniques for laboratory-based studies of sound production and hearing in aquatic animals. Underwater bioacoustics is best learned by combining theory and practice. For a thorough understanding the students need to obtain hands-on experience with animals, equipment, and experimental methods. Lectures are likewise important to disseminate experimental methodology as well as analysis techniques, and to pinpoint situations where mistakes are commonly made. In this class the students are introduced to the large functional variety by which animals produce and hear sounds. Underlying concepts are treated in lectures by well-experienced experimental bio-acousticians with a broad research background. The lectures are combined with anatomical dissections of hearing and sound production organs. Likewise, psychophysical concepts such as the hearing threshold, signal to noise ratio, critical bands, are illustrated by psychological experiments, both on humans and animals. We hope the students in this manner will obtain a deeper understanding for both the fundamental mechanisms of function and form of the use of sound in aquatic animals, and also to get introduced to modern techniques used to bio-acoustic questions. Requirements: 12 PhD students or post graduate researchers with a background in bioacoustics and a basic understanding of the recording and physics of underwater sound. Application deadline 15th of December, 2006. Successful candidates will be notified by January 1st. Fee: 500 Euros, including room but not food. For more information and applications, please visit www.snak.biology.sdu.dk or contact Magnus Wahlberg, magnus@fjord-baelt.dk SCHEDULE MONDAY (AARHUS, DENMARK) 9.00-9.30 Introduction (MW) 9.30-10.15 Fundamentals of aquatic bioacoustics (MW) 10.45-11.30 The hair cell, and the evolution of hearing underwater (JM) 11.45-12.30 Fish and invertebrate hearing and sound production (MW) 14.00 - 18.00 A) Electron microscopy of hair cells (JM) B) Dissection of inner ear, lateral line & sound production organs of fishes (JM, MW & PTM) TUESDAY (AARHUS) 9.00-9.45 Marine mammal sound production (PTM) 10.00-10.45 Hearing in marine mammals (JT) 11.15-12.00 Physiological instrumentation in aquatic bioacoustics (JCD) 13.00-13.45 Propagation of underwater sound fields (MW) 14.00-18.00 Dissection of a harbour porpoise and a harbour seal (JT&PTM) 20.00-23.00 Bus transfer to Kerteminde WEDNESDAY (KERTEMINDE, DENMARK) 9.00-9.45 ABR instrumentation of fish, frogs, turtles and invertebrates (JCD) 10.00-10.45 ABR instrumentation for marine mammals (KB & AS) 11.00-11.45 Hydrodynamic field detection (MW) 12.00-12.45 Tucker Davis fundamentals with Matlab interface (JCD) 14.00-18.00 C) ABR and neural recording of a frog (JCD) D) ABR of a porpoise (KB & AS) THURSDAY (KERTEMINDE) 9.00-9.45 Signals and noise (KB) 10.00-10.45 Measuring signals and noise (PTM) 11.15-12.00 Psychophysics and signal detection theory (TD) 12.15-13.00 Continued signal detection theory (TD) 14.00-18.00 E) Psychophysics and signal detection theory practical (JCD and TD) F) Signal and Noise measurements and analysis (MW and PTM) FRIDAY (KERTEMINDE) 9.00-12.00 Hydrodynamic field detection practical (MW) Cadaver Acoustics (LM) Sound radiation from porpoise (PTM) 13.00-15.00 Class evaluation and farewell Teachers: AS Alexander Ya Supin (Russian Academy of Sciences) JCD Jakob C Dahlsgaard (SDU), JM Jørgen Mørup (AU) JT Jakob Tougaard (NERI) KB Kristian Beedholm (SDU) LM Lee Miller (SDU), MW Magnus Wahlberg (F&B) PTM Peter T Madsen (AU) TD Torsten Dau (DTU)