Basic Training for CATT
The two activities required for hands on CATT project experience are:​
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Hardware setup - to record data with the F-POD, then, to shut down the F-POD and recover the recorded data. With the data SD card removed from the F-POD, next is -
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Software Analysis - this involves loading the the SD card into a Windows PC running the F-POD.exe software, using that software to generate FP1 'raw' data files, then running the Chelonia train detection algorithm to extract the cetacean click trains from the raw data. < Click the images below to magnify them >
01
CATT F-POD Hardware
F-PODs are quick and easy to boot up, shut down and service. We have user guides and videos for this. The 10 D-Cell batteries are loaded in two stacks of five, positive end down, and the clip is pushed on to secure them.
The micro SD card is pushed into the slot. Red, white and blue lights will be seen followed by five quick green flashes.
That is it the F-POD is now running and just needs the lid to be screwed back on.
02
CATT Software Analysis
F-POD.exe is Windows freeware available on the Chelonia website. It is a small program, the current version is 6.7 MB.
The SD card from the F-POD holds a new file for each 24 hour period of the deployment. The F-POD software compiles these day files into an FP1 raw data file containing everything the F-POD recorded. This FP1 is passed through the train detection algorithm to extract the cetacean click trains into an FP3 file
03
CATT Software Interface
The F-POD.exe user interface can display data timescales from years to nanoseconds. Files open in the Low Res view and as we zoom in automatically switch to the Hi Res view. The reverse is true as we zoom out. The images on the right show the same data at Hi Res and Low Res. The image below shows the scales on the right of the Hi Res screen that are adjusted with F5 & F6.
The low res view is useful for seeing monthly or seasonal trends (increasing orange dolphin clicks towards the end).
The hi res view is useful for identifying behaviours like echo locating, feeding, foraging, or social communication.
Small cetaceans don't seem to echo locate much below 4 clicks per second but the click rates can rise to over 1000 clicks per second so the F5 & F6 scale adjustment is something we use all the time.
F-POD.exe user interface - Parameter Scales
F-POD.exe user interface - Low Resolution, 182 days of data
Low Res - The colourful lower strip shows raw data as frequencies, the colours relate to the different frequencies in KHz. The middle strip shows detections, orange are dolphins, purple are porpoises. The height of the line represents the number of cycles in each click of a click train. The top strip shows the variable click rates in clicks per seconds of the click train. We view these as upsweeps and down sweeps in the Hi res view...​
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Hi Res - The upsweeps show rapidly increasing click rates typical of feeding buzzes. slower consistent click rates are likely echo location sweeps. The ultra-sonic beam of clicks is highly directional enabling accurate echolocating navigation but also social communication with individual animals within the pod. In this view the lower strip shows amplitude in SPL (Sound Pressure Level). The colours here still represent frequencies.
F-POD.exe user interface - High Resolution, 3 minutes of data
04
CATT Species Graphing
There are some quick, simple, one click overviews of the whole file that we can use. The first is graphing, we do this for one species at a time, i.e. Dolphins, Porpoises, and if needed, boat sonars.
This shows us the frequency bandwidth for the raw data in the lower graph. The other three graphs show us the specifics of the dolphin or porpoise click trains, the frequencies used, the clicks per second, and the diel pattern (average number of clicks in each hour of the deployment.
05
CATT Species Overview
Another one click overview is available on the 'analysis' tab. Here we can see an overview of the whole file one species at a time. As well as the graphs, the blue text box shows us details of the total number of clicks detected and averages for DPM (Detection Positive Minutes). These statistics are useful for comparing different sites, or the same site through the seasons and the years.
