@misc{9226824,
  abstract     = {{The Mediterranean subpopulation of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) is classified as Endangered by the IUCN, yet the western Ionian Sea, a key corridor connecting the eastern and western Mediterranean sub-populations, remains a data-poor region for cetacean monitoring. Passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) offers an effective approach for long-term surveillance of this deep-diving species, but large-scale acoustic datasets require validated automated pipelines to distinguish sperm whale clicks from confounding signals such as dolphin echolocation sounds, and anthropogenic noise. This thesis developed and validated a multi-stage pipeline for the detection, classification, and acoustic sizing of sperm whales, using continuous recordings from a single bottom-mounted hydrophone deployed at 880 m depth off Siracusa, Sicily (July–October 2024; 90 days). Automated click detections were refined through a tiered post-processing filter integrating signal-to-noise ratio, inter-click interval regularity, spectral slope, and centroid frequency. Validated against manually verified files, the filter achieved a precision of 76.7%. Applied to the full three-month dataset, 478 of 4,486 detection-positive files (10.7%) were accepted. Acoustic presence was documented on 69.1% of monitored days, with a pronounced diel pattern (73.9% of clustered clicks during daytime) suggestive of prey-driven foraging activity. Unsupervised clustering further resolved two distinct acoustic click types (97.4% assignment rate), interpreted as near-range and long-range echolocation categories. Inter-pulse interval (IPI) analysis yielded 39 valid body-length estimates ranging from 8.69 to 13.99 m (mean 10.74 m), consistent with a mixed population of adult females, juveniles, and at least one adult male. The validated pipeline provides a transparent, reproducible framework applicable to the broader dataset and contributes baseline data for conservation management and environmental impact assessment under the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.}},
  author       = {{Jang, Haeun}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Development and Validation of an Automated Sperm Whale Click Detection and Classification Pipeline Using Passive Acoustic Monitoring in the Western Ionian Sea (Mediterranean Sea)}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}