A pilot acoustic survey in the Zhangjiang Estuary mangroves
We installed our lab's first acoustic monitoring device and conducted waterbird surveys in the Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove Nature Reserve.
Recently, our lab travelled to the Zhangjiang Estuary Mangrove Nature Reserve for a pilot field study. During the trip, we installed our lab’s first acoustic monitoring device in the mangroves and conducted waterbird surveys in the surrounding wetlands.
Working in the mangroves was both challenging and exciting. We made our way through muddy ground, dense roots, and tangled branches to find a suitable location for the recorder. This pilot deployment will help us test the equipment and field methods before expanding our acoustic monitoring work. The recordings will also give us an initial glimpse into the soundscape and biodiversity of this unique coastal ecosystem.
The trip brought some memorable fieldwork moments as well. Tingyu and Jie climbed into the mangrove trees to help install the equipment. Their strength and tree-climbing skills impressed everyone—climbing trees turned out to be another useful skill for field ecologists!
It was a muddy, energetic, and rewarding day in the field. We look forward to retrieving the recordings, learning from this first deployment, and developing our future biodiversity monitoring work in the mangroves.