Ecologist with a passion for innovative techniques such as machine learning (AI) to investigate biodiversity patterns and the influence of human activities on animal populations. My work involves species recognition in photographs and the analysis of animal behaviour through sound and video. I also develop AI methods to study species and sounds with limited data. In this way, I bridge the gap between ecological questions and technological solutions.
Keywords
Machine learning, AI, Sound recognition, Butterflies, South-East Asia, Underwater sound, Acoustic monitoring, Anthropogenic effects
Researchinterest
I use artificial intelligence to study biodiversity and the impact of human activities, recognising species automatically through photographs and sounds.
Currenttopics
The South-East Asia Lepidoptera Project
Butterflies are an incredibly diverse group, comprising more than 180,000 described species and countless others that remain unknown. Many of these species are under threat from human influences, such as climate change. However, with artificial intelligence (AI), even non-experts can contribute to butterfly monitoring. My research focuses on identifying knowledge gaps and exploring how museum collections, such as Naturalis's, can contribute to expanding our understanding and improving AI models. I am also developing tools to help experts identify species in large data sets.
Keypublications
- te Velde, Kees, et al. "Natural soundscapes of lowland river habitats and the potential threat of urban noise pollution to migratory fish." Environmental Pollution 359 (2024): 124517. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2024.124517
- Parcerisas, C., Schall, E., Te Velde, K., Botteldooren, D., Devos, P., & Debusschere, E. (2024). Machine learning for efficient segregation and labeling of potential biological sounds in long-term underwater recordings. Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 5, 1390687. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/frsen.2024.1390687
- te Velde, Kees, and Hans Slabbekoorn. "Acoustic Profiles of Underwater Soundscapes Affected by Road Traffic." The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life: Principles and Practical Considerations. Cham: Springer International Publishing, (2023). 1-15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-10417-6_191-1
- Greenhalgh, J. A., Akmentins, M. S., Boullhesen, M., Brejão, G. L., Bowman, J. C., Briers, R. A., ..., te Velde, K., & Looby, A. (2025). The Freshwater Sounds Archive. bioRxiv, 2025-05. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.07.652412
In themedia
All in dutch
- Presentation on 'How harmful is noise pollution?', watch it here
- Interview 'What do fish ears hear?' Read it in VISblad
- Webinar CoP Beken en Rivieren 'Monitoring with underwater sound' want to watch it? Click here
- Architectuurcentrum Nijmegen Podcast
- Vroege Vogels Radio episode - 'The underwater world is a cacophony of sounds'
