ACCE+ DLA programme: Characterising the vibrational landscape of the zoo: from animal calls to human noises

Vibrational communication is widespread across the animal kingdom, with animals using vibrational waves in the ground and substrates in order to communicate and sense their environment. It is suggested that animals are living in and contributing to a vibrational landscape (a vibroscape) consisting of abiotic and biological vibrations. Known vibrational signallers include insects, fish, amphibians and even marine invertebrates, but for many species vibrational communication has yet to be explored.

With global change, many animal populations are in decline. Captive breeding programmes within zoos aim to address the decline, and as such aim to uphold the highest standards of welfare with continuous monitoring and improvement of enclosures to enhance conditions. Modifications to enclosures and building of new habitats can lead to construction noise, adding to regular fluctuations of noise found in high footfall environments. Noise can have negative behavioural and physiological impacts upon captive animals, for example by interfering with communication, but so far has only been investigated in terms of air-borne sound, rather than ground-borne vibration.

This project aims to characterise the vibroscape of a zoo environment, in terms of vibrations produced by animals, and vibrations introduced by humans. Which captive animals are detecting and producing vibrations, and does vibrational noise interact with this usage and therefore with welfare? To answer this, passive vibrational monitoring will be used to monitor animals and communities non-invasively across the zoo. Seismic sensors will be deployed across a range of enclosures to monitor and characterise vibrations, with specialised cameras to observe behaviour. The species targeted in the study will be selected considering the applicants’ interests. Depending on the study groups, additional tropical field work could be incorporated at existing field sites of the supervisors.

Objectives

1.      Monitor the vibroscape spatially and temporally across the zoo and characterize vibrational noise, to provide an understanding of factors driving environmental change at a local level.

2.      Explore, at an individual and community level, biological vibrations produced by captive animals, to ascertain which species may be more vulnerable or responsive to vibrational change.

3.      Develop Obj. 2 in field conditions to understand biological vibration use in a wider context without anthropogenic influence, allowing a comparison between captive and non-captive conditions.

Novelty and timeliness

The new discipline biotremology (vibrational wave use by animals) is at the forefront of vibroacoustic science. The understanding of vibrational use by most animals (particularly invertebrates) is limited, with characterization of vibrational calls a first step to understanding vibrational landscapes. Vibrational noise in all environments, in reference to animals, is currently unregulated, despite human activities producing vibrations via construction, traffic and even footfall. Understanding noise within a zoo context has the potential to enhance animal welfare within exhibits, by informing enclosure locations and maintenance, and offers an opportunity to study the potential impact of noise within a controlled environment.

Skills and research environment

The applicant will develop skills and receive training in vibrational monitoring, animal ethology, ecology, animal welfare, and computational analysis. Core supervision will be provided at UoL, with the student placed within the Ecology and Marine biology group. The PhD student will also work closely with the project partner, Chester Zoo, with significant time spent embedded within the zoo as a Chester Zoo Conservation Scholar.

How to Apply

Please see the ACCE website for all details of how to apply to the programme at each ACCE+ institution: https://accedtp.ac.uk/how-to-apply/. 

All applicants to ACCE+ must complete the ACCE+ personal statement proforma. This is instead of a personal/supporting statement or cover letter. The proforma is designed to standardise this part of the application to minimise the difference between those who are given support and those who are not. Candidates should also submit a CV and the contact details of two referees.

Part-Time Study Options

All ACCE+ PhDs are available as part time or full time, with part time being a minimum of 50% of full time. Please discuss potential part time arrangements with the primary supervisor before applying to the programme. 

Project CASE Status

This project is a CASE project. Your project will be co-supervised by the non-academic partner organisation, and you will spend 3-6 months on a placement with your CASE partner in their workplace. You will experience training, facilities and expertise not available in an academic setting, and will build business and research collaborations.