Data from: MatlabHTK: a simple interface for bioacoustic analyses using Hidden Markov models

1. Passive bioacoustic recording devices are now widely available and able to continuously record remotely located sites for extended periods, offering great potential for wildlife monitoring and management. Analysis of the huge datasets generated, in particular for specific biotic sound recognition, remains a critical bottleneck for widespread adoption of these technologies as current methods are labour intensive. 2. Several methods borrowed from speech processing frameworks, such as hidden Markov models, have been successful in analysing bioacoustic data but the software implementations can be expensive and difficult to use for non-specialists involved in wildlife conservation. To remedy this, we present a software interface to a popular speech recognition system making it possible for non-experts to implement hidden Markov models for bioacoustic signal processing. Octave/Matlab functions are used to simplify the set up and the definition of a bioacoustic signal recogniser as well as the analysis of the results. 3. We present the different functions as a workflow. To demonstrate how the package can be used we give the results of an analysis of a bioacoustic monitoring dataset to detect the nocturnal presence and behaviour of a cryptic seabird species, the common diving petrel Pelecanoides urinatrix urinatrix, from Northern New Zealand. 4. We show that the package matlabHTK can be used efficiently to reconstruct the daily patterns of colony activity in the common diving petrel.1. 被动声学记录设备（Passive bioacoustic recording devices）如今已广泛普及，可长期持续对远程监测点位进行录制，为野生动物监测与管理提供了巨大应用潜力。但当前相关方法劳动强度极高，使得对生成的海量数据集——尤其是针对特定生物声识别的数据集——的分析，仍是这类技术大规模应用的关键瓶颈。 2. 诸多借鉴自语音处理框架的方法（如隐马尔可夫模型（Hidden Markov Models））已在生物声学数据分析中取得良好效果，但这类方法的软件实现往往成本高昂，且对于参与野生动物保护的非专业人士而言难以操作。为此，我们针对一款主流语音识别系统开发了配套软件接口，使非专业人士也能够借助隐马尔可夫模型开展生物声学信号处理工作。本方案采用Octave/Matlab函数，简化了生物声学信号识别器的搭建、定义流程，以及最终的结果分析工作。 3. 我们将各功能模块整合为一套完整的工作流。为展示该工具包的使用方式，我们针对一套生物声学监测数据集开展分析并展示结果：该数据集用于侦测新西兰北部的隐秘海鸟物种——普通潜水海燕（*Pelecanoides urinatrix urinatrix*）的夜间活动踪迹与行为模式。 4. 我们证实，工具包matlabHTK可高效用于还原普通潜水海燕的繁殖群落每日活动模式。