Continuous Monitoring of Fish Population and Behavior by Instantaneous Continental-Shelf-Scale Imaging with Ocean-Waveguide Acoustics

The long-term goals of this program are to (1) instantaneously detect, image and spatially chart fish populations over continental-shelf scales, and (2) continuously monitor the areal densities and behavior of these fish populations over time using a novel audible frequency acoustic system (3005000Hz) referred to as Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (OAWRS). This new method is being applied to explore the abundance, temporal and spatial distributions and behavior of fish populations in the Gulf of Maine on and near Georges Bank, a marine ecosystem being studied in the Census of Marine Life program. OAWRS is a valuable conservation tool for rapid imaging and enumeration of large scale fish populations over thousands of square kilometers to effectively monitor and manage the national fish stock.