Whales and dolphins rely on sound for navigation and communication, making them an intriguing subject for studying language evolution. Traditional hydrophone arrays have been used to record their acoustic behavior, but optical fibers have emerged as a promising alternative. This study explores the use of distributed acoustic sensing (DAS), a technique that detects local stress in optical fibers, for underwater sound recording. An experiment was conducted in Lake Zurich, where a fiber-optic cable and a self-made hydrophone array were deployed. A test signal was broadcasted at various locations, and the resulting data was synchronized and consolidated into files. Analysis revealed distinct frequency responses in the DAS channels and provided insights into sound propagation in the lake. Challenges related to cable sensitivity, sample rate, and broadcast fidelity were identified. This dataset serves as a valuable resource for advancing acoustic sensing techniques in underwater environments, especially for studying marine mammal vocal behavior.

翻译：鲸类和海豚依赖声音进行导航和通信，这使其成为研究语言演化的有趣对象。传统水听器阵列已被用于记录其声学行为，但光纤正成为一种有前景的替代方案。本研究探索了分布式声学传感（DAS）技术——一种检测光纤局部应力的方法——用于水下声音记录。在苏黎世湖开展了一项实验，部署了光纤电缆和自制水听器阵列。在不同位置播放测试信号，并将所得数据同步整合为文件。分析揭示了DAS通道中不同的频率响应，提供了对湖中声音传播的见解。识别出与电缆灵敏度、采样率和播放保真度相关的挑战。该数据集为推进水下环境中的声学传感技术（尤其是研究海洋哺乳动物发声行为）提供了宝贵资源。