PAMGUARD: Semiautomated, open source software for real-time acoustic detection and localization of cetaceans.

TLDR

PAMGUARD is an open‑source, platform‑independent software suite that provides marine mammal researchers, managers, and mitigators with flexible detection, localization, data management, and display modules for passive acoustic monitoring. The project seeks to improve real‑time location accuracy and automate species classification within PAM systems. It delivers a cross‑platform interface that supports adding, removing, and configuring multiple detectors, and offers an API with standard classes for efficient data handling, hardware and database integration, and a GUI framework for display. PAMGUARD matches or surpasses the capabilities of earlier real‑time monitoring programs such as the IFAW Logger Suite and Ishmael. The software is funded by the OGP E&P Sound and Marine Life project.

Abstract

PAMGUARD is open-source, platform-independent software to address the needs of developers and users of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) systems. For the PAM operator—marine mammal biologist, manager, or mitigator—PAMGUARD provides a flexible and easy-to-use suite of detection, localization, data management, and display modules. These provide a standard interface across different platforms with the flexibility to allow multiple detectors to be added, removed, and configured according to the species of interest and the hardware configuration on a particular project. For developers of PAM systems, an Application Programming Interface (API) has been developed which contains standard classes for the efficient handling of many types of data, interfaces to acquisition hardware and to databases, and a GUI framework for data display. PAMGUARD replicates and exceeds the capabilities of earlier real time monitoring programs such as the IFAW Logger Suite and Ishmael. Ongoing developments include improved real-time location and automated species classification. [PAMGUARD funded by the OGP E&P Sound and Marine Life project.]