Hydroacoustics

Hydroacoustics is a general term for the study and application of sound in water. The term comes from Greek υδρο, water, and ακουστική, acoustics. Hydroacoustics, utilizing SONAR technology, is most commonly used for detection, assessment, and monitoring of underwater physical and biological characteristics.

Hydroacoustics can be utilized to detect the depth of a water body (bathymetry), as well as the presence or absence, abundance, distribution, size, and behavior of underwater plants and animals. Hydroacoustic sensing involves "passive acoustics" (listening for sounds) or "active acoustics" making a sound and listening for the echo, hence the common name for the device, echo sounder or echosounder.

Specific Applications

Fisheries Acoustics

Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler for water speed measurement

Acoustic Camera

Passive Acoustic Monitoring

Related Publications

* [http://www.htisonar.com/Pubs/HydroacousticEscapement.pdf Summary of the use of hydroacoustics for quantifying the escapement of adult salmonids (Oncorhynchus and Salmo spp.) in rivers.] Ransom, B.H., S.V. Johnston, and T.W. Steig. 1998. Presented at International Symposium and Workshop on Management and Ecology of River Fisheries, University of Hull, England, 30 March-3 April 1998

* [http://www.htisonar.com/Pubs/PlanktonAssesment.pdf Multi-frequency acoustic assessment of fisheries and plankton resources.] Torkelson,T.C., T.C. Austin, and P.H. Weibe. 1998. Presented at the 135th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the 16th Meeting of the International Congress of Acoustics, Seattle, Washington.

References

* [http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1577%2FT05-203.1 Evaluation of Methods to Estimate Lake Herring Spawner Abundance in Lake Superior]
* [http://afs.allenpress.com/perlserv/?request=get-abstract&doi=10.1577%2FM05-040.1 Estimating Sockeye Salmon Smolt Flux and Abundance with Side-Looking Sonar]
* [http://www.gma.org/herring/research/acoustics/default.asp Herring Research: Using Acoustics to Count Fish.]
* [http://biosonicsinc.com/resources/case_studies_applications.cfm Hydroacoustic Applications in Lake, River and Marine environments for study of plankton, fish, vegetation, substrate or seabed classification, and bathymetry.]
* [http://www.stateofthesalmon.org/SFPH_p4.pdf Hydroacoustics: Rivers] (in: Salmonid Field Protocols Handbook: Chapter 4)
* [http://www.stateofthesalmon.org/SFPH_p5.pdf Hydroacoustics: Lakes and Reservoirs] (in: Salmonid Field Protocols Handbook: Chapter 5)
* PAMGUARD: An Open-Source Software Community Developing Marine Mammal Acoustic Detection and Localisation Software to Benefit the Marine Environment; http://www.pamguard.org/home.shtml