Publication Abstract

Improved acoustic surveys that save time and money: integrating fisheries and ground discrimination acoustic technologies

S. Mackinson, S.Freeman, R. Flatt and B. Meadows

Field surveys are notoriously costly. Whilst continuous acoustic surveys provide good value in terms of their data richness and spatial coverage when compared to point sample surveys (e.g. trawls, dredges, grabs), there is scope to improve survey methods and provide value added data. We present technical details and an example application of an approach that maximises survey efficiency and data richness through the integrated use of two acoustic tools; a fisheries echosounder and ground discrimination system. Simultaneous, integrated operation of both systems provides a more cost-effective use of survey time by eliminating the need to conduct independent coverage. The scientific benefit is that the approach removes the temporal confounding of spatial data that results when trying to compare data from two independent surveys. i.e. it enables fish to be placed with their habitat by linking information about seafloor composition directly with fisheries data.

Reference:

S. Mackinson, S.Freeman, R. Flatt and B. Meadows. 2004. Improved acoustic surveys that save time and money: integrating fisheries and ground discrimination acoustic technologies. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 305 (2) 129-140