Acoustic Sensing on Autonomous Underwater Platforms

Organizer: Discovery of Sound in the Sea (DOSITS)

Date and Time: Wednesday, October 14, 2026 · 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM EST

Location: Virtual

Format and Highlights:

• Duration: 1.0 h
• Format: Virtual (Zoom webinar with YouTube Live stream)

About This Event: The final session of the 2026 DOSITS webinar series examines the use of autonomous underwater technologies for acoustic sensing of marine mammals. Presenters will discuss how gliders, drifters, and other mobile platforms are advancing passive acoustic monitoring across diverse ocean environments, from the Arctic to the tropical Pacific.

Professional development certificates are available to individuals who attend or watch the archived video of all four DOSITS webinars in a calendar year and complete the associated questionnaire for each session. All webinars are recorded and archived on the DOSITS website and on Vimeo.

What to Expect:

• Presentation on acoustic receiving using mobile underwater platforms
• Discussion of long-range acoustic signals for underwater positioning
• Exploration of passive acoustic monitoring of cetaceans using gliders and drifters
• Overview of software and methods for detection, classification, and localization of marine mammals
• Facilitated Q&A with attendees following the presentation

Panel Presenters / Speakers:

• Dr. Lora Van Uffelen — Associate Professor, Department of Ocean Engineering and Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island
• Dr. Selene Fregosi — Assistant Professor, Senior Research, Marine Mammal Institute, Oregon State University; Affiliate, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center; Associate Scientist, Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.
• Dr. David Mellinger — Professor, Senior Research, Cooperative Institute for Marine Ecosystems and Resources Studies, Oregon State University

Contact or Registration: Register via Zoom: https://uri-edu.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_F3AhLxpKQB-HtduSWONl8w#/registration For questions, contact the DOSITS Team: askDOSITS@gmail.com