Ocean Platforms, Experiments, and Research in Acoustics
The OPERA Lab, led by Professor Lora Van Uffelen, has a broad interest in the area of underwater acoustics and a particular focus on the use of autonomous underwater vehicles as acoustic receiving platforms. Research topics include long-range underwater acoustic propagation and the impact of oceanic variability, impacts of climate change on acoustic propagation in the Arctic, passive acoustic monitoring of marine mammals, underwater acoustic signal processing, and acoustic localization of undersea platforms. Research projects have included data collection in locations ranging from Hawaii to the Arctic.
OPERA Lab Participates in Science Saturday
The OPERA Lab teamed up with DOSITS (Discovery of Sound in the Sea) on an exhibit titled “Sensing Sound Under the Sea” for Science Saturday in September 2021. The day included exhibits open to the public to display the latest in ocean exploration, discovery, and science happening at the Narragansett Bay Campus. OPERA Lab members created a display where adults and children alike could try their hand at matching sounds produced by marine animals with spectrograms. A Seaglider with a mounted Passive Acoustic System was also on display, which attracted many visitors, including URI’s own mascot Rhody The Ram!