Institut for Ecoscience

My PhD addresses the profound lack of quantitative techniques for Passive Acoustic Monitoring and hence lack of comparability among acoustic studies on free-ranging animals. I will do this by studying the acoustic behaviour and behavioural ecology of smaller toothed whales, sound source properties and propagation of clicks, and detectability using state of the art underwater recording gear and automated detectors.

Curriculum Vitae

Born: 1^st March 1976

Nationality: Danish

Place of residence: Copenhagen, Denmark

Based: National Environmental Research Institute

Education:

M.Sc. (2006) University of Copenhagen & University of Aarhus. Title: "Detection of harbour porpoises using T-PODs". Examination title: "Account for which types of sound signals toothed whales emit and justify for which signals are best suited for automatic detection".

PhD. (Enrolled August 2007). Working title: "Acoustic monitoring of toothed whales with implications for mitigation, management and biology."

Zoophysiology, Dept. of Biological Sciences & Dept. of Arctic Environment, National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus.

Working experience:

2007: Research assistant at the National Environmental Research Institute, University of Aarhus.

• Acoustic monitoring of harbour porpoises with T-PODs.
• Calibration of T-PODs.
• Planning and conducting fieldwork to test T-PODs comparing visual theodolith trackings to broadband recordings and T-POD detections.
• Visual and acoustic porpoise surveys.

2007: Research assistant in Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations. Please see 2005.

2005: Field assistant at Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations http://www.zackenberg.dk/, Northeast Greenland for BioBasis, 3 months.

          Responsible for data sampling including:

• Fishing, plant phenology, collection and species identification of arthropods.
• DNA sampling.
• Weekly musk ox censuses including sex and age determination of each group.
• Censuses of seals, snowy hares, musk oxen, lemmings, geese and wader birds.
• Collection and identification of scats and casts.
• Database management, data analysis and reports. And lots more.
• Scientific referee: Dr. Hans Meltofte, mel@dmu.dk, Ph.d. Niels Martin Schmidt, nms@dmu.dk.

2005: Field assistant in Zackenberg for Dr. Angela Moles, Victoria University of Wellington.

• Assessing herbivory on plants for her World Herbivory Project http://www.vuw.ac.nz/staff/angela_moles/herbivory.htm

2003: Field assistant, Zoological Museum of Copenhagen.

• Bat censuses, capture, marking and handling of bats.

2003: Field assistant Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations, 3 months. Please see 2005.

• Musk ox census from plane.
• Responsible for data collection of Nysius groenlandicus for Dr. Jens Böchter, Zoological Museum of Copenhagen, and for collection data for various other projects, where the researchers could not come to Zackenberg themselves.

2002: Field assistant Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations, 3 months. Please see 2005.

2001-2002:  Employed 10 months in M.Sc. position at the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen in the project Atlas of Danish Mammals.

            Responsible for:

• Educating volunteers in the capture and species identification of small rodents.
• Keeping contact with the volunteer corps, educating the public, database management (Acces) and mapping in GIS (MapInfo).
• Species identification of mammals.

2001: Student assistant at the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen. Sorting and qualifying scientific papers.

2001-2005: Teacher at the exhibitions of the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen.

            Responsible for

• teaching visiting school classes and visitors during either lectures in the exhibition or class-room teaching.
• Preparation of happenings in the exhibitions. Preparation of teaching materials.

Expeditions:

2007: The Danish national Galathea3 Expedition. Research assistant in the project "Sounds in the Oceans" on the voyage from New Zealand to Antarctica, the Strait of Magellan and Chile. Responsible for surveying for marine mammals, acoustic recordings of marine mammals and noise. Data analysis and publications.

2006: Field assistant on acoustic expedition from Denmark to Greenland in 45'' to record sounds of deep diving toothed whales. Surveying for Cetaceans and helping with acoustic recordings. Expedition leader Dr. Bertel Møhl.

Projects:

2003: "Arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) habitat utilisation in relation to prey distribution in the short arctic summer in Northeast Greenland". The study included three months field studies in Zackenberg, NE-Greenland, using radio telemetry, tracking and direct observational behavioural methods. I conducted all trapping, handling and radio collaring of the foxes.

2002: "A study on the behaviour of wild collared lemmings (Dicrostonyx groenlandicus  Traill, 1823)". Three months field studies in Zackenberg, NE-Greenland, using radio telemetry, tracking and direct observational behavioural methods. I conducted all trapping, handling and radio collaring of the lemmings. Project in behavioural ecology, University of Copenhagen.

Awards:

2005: "Best pre-doctorial poster presentation", at the 16^th biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, USA, 2005, hosted by the Society of Marine Mammalogy.

Volunteer Work:

2004-7:Co founder and vice-president of the Danish Marine Mammal Society. Responsible for planning and carrying out annual conferences.

2003-5:Student representative of the Danish Natural History Society. Responsibilities included public relations work and referee for the annual fond applications.

2002-6: Board member of the Danish Mammal Society. Secretary. Responsibilities included public relations work.

1999: Volunteer for the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece. Work included turtle nest surveys, protection of individual nets, excavations of nest remains and DNA sampling of remaining eggs and hatchlings. Public relations work including informing beach guests.

1999-2005:Cetacean dissections for the Danish Institute of Fisheries Research and the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen. Duties included tissue and DNA sampling.

1997: Australian Trust for Conservation Volunteers, Australia. Diverse work in various national parks.

Guide work:

2004: Guide and lecturer for Oceanwide Expeditions, East Greenland. Responsible for: Lectures and Zodiac cruises with guests among icebergs. Safety and guarding in relation to polar bears.

2004:Guide aboard the Danish whale watching ship "Anton" for the Danish society "Living Sea".

2000&2001: Guide for Whale Safari A/S, Andenes, Norway. Communication of the biology of whales to visitors at the whale centre and on the whale safari boats in English, German, minimum-French and Danish. Help with collection of acoustic data for visiting projects. Preparation of teaching materials for the other guides.

Other skills:

Experienced Zodiac driver.

Experienced in various outdoor activities.

Publications:

Kyhn, L.A., Tougaard, J., Teilmann, J., Wahlberg, M., Jørgensen, P.B. and Bech, N.I. (In Press, JMBA) "Harbor porpoise passive acoustic detection: T-POD detection thresholds measured in the laboratory are reflected in field sensitivity."

Schmidt, N.M., Berg, T.B., Forchammer, M.C., Hendrichsen, D.K., Kyhn, L.A., Meltofte, H. & Høye, T.T. (In Press). Vertebrate Predator-Prey Interactions in a Seasonal Environment. ADVANCES IN ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH Vol. 40. 2008.

Shapiro, A., Tougaard, J. Balle, J.D., Fjälling, A., Karlsen, J., Jørgensen, P.B., Kyhn, L.A., & M. Wahlberg (In review, JASA). Transmission loss patterns from acoustic harassment and deterrent devices do not always follow geometrical spreading predictions.

Tougaard, J. and Kyhn, L.A. (in review, MMS). Narrow Band High-Frequency Echolocation Sounds of Hourglass Dolphins indicate close Taxonomic affinity with the

dolphin genus Cephalorhynchus.

Kyhn, L.A. "Polarrævens fødesøgningsstrategi - eller kunsten at lære at fange en polarræv" Grønland, nr. 2-3, Marts 2005.

Kyhn, L.A. & M. Tarmsdorf. Vegetation in Rasch, M. and Canning, K. (eds). Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations, 10^th Annual Report, 2005. Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.

Kyhn, L.A. Mammals in Rasch, M. and Canning, K. (eds). Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations, 10^th Annual Report, 2005. Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.

Kyhn, L.A. Behaviour of the collared lemming Dicrostonyx groenlandicus in the arctic summer in Rasch, M. and Canning, K. (eds) 2003. Zackenberg Ecological Research operations, 8^th Annual Report, 2002. Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.

Meltofte, H. and L.A. Kyhn. Vegetation in Rasch, M. and Canning, K. (eds). Zackenberg Ecological Research Operations, 9^th Annual Report, 2003. Danish Polar Center, Copenhagen.

Kyhn, L.A. Et feltstudium af halsbåndlemmingen i Nordøstgrønlands Nationalpark. Dansk Naturhistorisk Forenings Årsskrift 2002/2003.

Conference contributions

Kyhn, L.A. and J. Tougaard. Linking T-POD calibrations to field performance. Invited talk at the workshop "Passive acoustic monitoring, GDynia, May 2006"

Kyhn, L.A., Tougaard, J., Wahlberg, M., Teilmann, J., Jørgensen, P. and N.I. Bech. Linking T-Pod performance in the field to laboratory calibrations. 16^th biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, San Diego, USA, 2005.

Kyhn, L.A., Kirkegaard, M. and C. Kinze. Skull development in North Atlantic Minke Whale, with implications for species identification in the Genus Balaenoptera. 16^th Annual Conference of European Cetacean Society, Liege, 2002.

Kyhn, L.A., Kirkegaard, M. and C. Kinze.  Skull development in North Atlantic Minke Whale, with implications for species identification in the Genus Balaenoptera. 14^th biennial conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Vancouver, 2001.