A Feasibility Study of Automated Detection and Classification of Signals in Distributed Acoustic Sensing

Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) is an emerging technology in the maritime domain, enabling the use of existing fiber optic cables to detect acoustic signals in the marine environment. In this study, we present an automated signal detection and classification framework for DAS data that supports near-real-time processing. Using data from the SHEFA-2 cable between the Faroe and Shetland Islands, we develop a method to identify acoustic signals and generate both labeled and unlabeled datasets based on their spectral characteristics. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used to explore separability in the labeled data, and Hierarchical Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (HDBSCAN) is applied to classify unlabeled data. Experimental validation using clustering metrics shows that with the full dataset, we can achieve a Davies–Bouldin Index of 0.828, a Silhouette Score of 0.124, and a Calinski–Harabasz Index of 189.8. The clustering quality degrades significantly when more than 20% of the labeled data is excluded, highlighting the importance of maintaining sufficient labeled samples for robust classification. Our results demonstrate the potential to distinguish between signal sources such as ships, vehicles, earthquakes, and possible cable damage, offering valuable insights for maritime monitoring and security.