Dimitri Ponirakis

I am a senior noise analyst and applications programmer for the K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics. My main roles are developing tools and methods for noise analysis. I develop tools to process, analyze, model, and visualize acoustic data. Software development includes development of an Acoustic Ecology Toolbox to model the loss of communication space and masking of animal vocalizations from anthropogenic and abiotic sound sources. I am responsible for carrying out noise analysis on numerous projects from LNG terminal construction and operational activities off the East Coast, to seismic prospecting in the Arctic, to looking at the impact of cruise vessels in Glacier Bay National Park in the Pacific Northwest. Previous experience includes working for noise and vibration consulting firms, and assessing and researching the environmental impact of noise from transportation, industrial, mining, and entertainment sources.

Year Hired: 2002

Contact Information
K. Lisa Yang Center for Conservation Bioacoustics
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, room #150
159 Sapsucker Woods Road, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA.
Phone: +1.607.254.2124
Email: dwp22@cornell.edu

Organizations: Full member of the Acoustical Society of America

Degree(s): M.Sc., Environmental and Architectural Acoustics, London South Bank University, U.K., 2000; B.Sc., Biology, Portsmouth University, U.K., 1988

Social Media: ResearchGate, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, Twitter

Recent Publications

Barlow, D.R. et al. (2023) ‘Environmental conditions and marine heatwaves influence blue whale foraging and reproductive effort’, Ecology and Evolution, 13(2), p. e9770. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9770.

Estabrook, B.J. et al. (2022) ‘Dynamic spatiotemporal acoustic occurrence of North Atlantic right whales in the offshore Rhode Island and Massachusetts Wind Energy Areas’, Endangered Species Research, 49, pp. 115–133. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr01206.

Miksis-Olds, J.L. et al. (2021) ‘Ocean Sound Analysis Software for Making Ambient Noise Trends Accessible (MANTA)’, Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, p. 1144. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.703650.

Martin, S.B. et al. (2021) ‘Hybrid millidecade spectra: A practical format for exchange of long-term ambient sound data’, JASA Express Letters, 1(1).

Klinck, H. et al. (2020) ‘The Rockhopper: a compact and extensible marine autonomous passive acoustic recording system’, Global Oceans 2020: Singapore – U.S. Gulf Coast, pp. 1–7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1109/IEEECONF38699.2020.9388970.

Guerra, M. et al. (2016) ‘High-resolution analysis of seismic air gun impulses and their reverberant field as contributors to an acoustic environment’, in N.A. Popper and A. Hawkins (eds) The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II. New York, NY: Springer New York, pp. 371–379. Available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-2981-8_44.

Gabriele, C.M., Ponirakis, D.W. and Klinck, H. (2021) ‘Underwater Sound Levels in Glacier Bay During Reduced Vessel Traffic Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic’, Frontiers in Marine Science, 8. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2021.674787.

Gabriele, C.M. et al. (2018) ‘Underwater Acoustic Ecology Metrics in an Alaska Marine Protected Area Reveal Marine Mammal Communication Masking and Management Alternatives’, Frontiers in Marine Science, 5, p. 270. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2018.00270.

Estabrook, B.J. et al. (2016) ‘Widespread spatial and temporal extent of anthropogenic noise across the northeastern Gulf of Mexico shelf ecosystem’, Endangered Species Research, 30, pp. 267–282.

Dugan, P.J. et al. (2011) ‘SEDNA-bioacoustic analysis toolbox’, in OCEANS’11 MTS/IEEE KONA. IEEE, pp. 1–10.

Cholewiak, D. et al. (2018) ‘Communicating amidst the noise: modeling the aggregate influence of ambient and vessel noise on baleen whale communication space in a national marine sanctuary’, Endangered Species Research, 36, pp. 59–75. Available at: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00875.

Barlow, D.R. et al. (2021) ‘Temporal and spatial lags between wind, coastal upwelling, and blue whale occurrence’, Scientific Reports, 11(6915). Available at: https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-86403-y.

Wright, D.L. et al. (2018) ‘Acoustic detection of North Pacific right whales in a high-traffic Aleutian Pass’, Endangered Species Research, 37, pp. 77–90. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00915.