Real-Time Analysis of Millidecade Spectra for Ocean Sound Identification and Wind Speed Quantification

This study introduces an algorithm for quantifying oceanic wind speed and identifying sound sources in the local underwater soundscape. Utilizing low-complexity metrics like one-minute spectral kurtosis and power spectral density levels, the algorithm categorizes different soundscapes and estimates wind speed. It detects rain, vessels, fin and blue whales, as well as clicks and whistles from dolphins. Positioned as a foundational tool for implementing the Ocean Sound Essential Ocean Variable (EOV), it contributes to understanding long-term trends in climate change for sustainable ocean health and predicting threats through forecasts. The proposed soundscape classification algorithm, validated using extensive acoustic recordings (≥32 kHz) collected at various depths and latitudes, demonstrates high performance, achieving an average precision of 89% and an average recall of 86.59% through optimized parameter tuning via a genetic algorithm. Here, wind speed is determined using a cubic function with power spectral density (PSD) at 6 kHz and the MASLUW method, exhibiting strong agreement with satellite data below 15 m/s. Designed for compatibility with low-power electronics, the algorithm can be applied to both archival datasets and real-time data streams. It provides a straightforward metric for ocean monitoring and sound source identification.