Julianne Bonnell

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Julianne Bonnell is a marine bioacoustician whose work bridges the gap between autonomous technology and conservation biology. Her primary research focuses on developing real-time passive acoustic monitoring systems to detect and mitigate human threats to marine mammals, particularly baleen whales. Bonnell’s most-cited paper, “Near real-time detection of low-frequency baleen whale calls from an autonomous surface vehicle” (2021, 14 citations), demonstrates her pioneering efforts to integrate low-power acoustic sensors into long-endurance autonomous platforms. This work enables persistent, near-real-time monitoring of whale presence, a critical advance for reducing ship strikes and noise pollution. By proving that autonomous surface vehicles can reliably detect low-frequency calls in challenging ocean conditions, she has opened new pathways for dynamic management of human activities. Her contributions are especially notable for addressing the practical challenges of implementing these systems—such as false positives and data transmission limits—while keeping the focus on actionable conservation outcomes. Bonnell’s research is essential reading for students and engineers interested in the intersection of robotics, signal processing, and marine mammal protection, showing how technology can directly inform policy and operational decisions at sea.