Estimating spatio-temporal reproductive dynamics of fish populations with passive acoustic monitoring: A state-space model approach

Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) has been used to estimate the presence and spatial distribution of target organisms using biological sounds received by microphones. Due to its cost-effectiveness and non-invasiveness, PAM is becoming a promising approach for studying the spatiotemporal dynamics of large groups in response to environmental changes. However, conventional PAM can face significant constraints in dealing with the collective vocalisations of organisms. Here, we extend the traditional sound propagation equation for targeting a collectively vocalising group and propose a state-space model that estimates the acoustic group’s location and size with a limited number of microphones. These developments overcome traditional limitations, such as financial, operational, and methodological costs and problems associated with the use of numerous microphones. Simulation studies confirmed that the model produced systematically unbiased estimates of acoustic group size and location across v..., , # Estimating spatio-temporal reproductive dynamics of fish populations with passive acoustic monitoring: A state-space model approach

## Description of the data and file structure

In this analysis, we used audio data obtained from 5 hydrophones. These data were converted to files of sound intensity between 500 and 1000Hz. These sound volume data were cropped during the duration of the fish chorus, and created chorus sound volume data. Using these data about fish chorus sound volume, we estimated the fish group centre and size simultaneously via Particle Filter MCMC. In this calculation, numerical integration was conducted.

Model performance was checked with varying parameter settings and under several situations that are assumed or not assumed in the model. Then, this model was applied to the chorus of white croaker as a case study. From the results of MCMC, we estimate the relationship between fish chorus features and environmental factors as a secondary analysis.

In each code, th...,