Multi-channel spatial sonification of Chinook salmon migration patterns in the Snake River Watershed

Spatialisation, pitch assignment, and timbral variation are three methods that can improve the perception of complex data in both an artistic and analytical context. This multi-modal approach to sonification has been applied to fish movement data with the dual goals of providing an aural representation for an artistic sound installation, as well as a qualitative data analysis tool useful to scientists studying salmon migration. Using field data collected from three wild Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) living in the Snake River Watershed, this paper will demonstrate how sonification offers new perspectives for interpreting migration patterns, including the potential to display the impact of environmental factors on the lifecycle associated with this species. Within this model, audio synthesis parameters guiding spatialisation, microtonal pitch organization, and temporal structure are assigned to streams of data through software applications developed for the project. Collection and interpretation of field data was performed in partnership with the University of Idaho - Water Resources Program.