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.

Related Publications

• 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

• 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

• Evaluation of Methods to Estimate Lake Herring Spawner Abundance in Lake Superior
• Estimating Sockeye Salmon Smolt Flux and Abundance with Side-Looking Sonar
• Herring Research: Using Acoustics to Count Fish.
• Hydroacoustic Applications in Lake, River and Marine environments for study of plankton, fish, vegetation, substrate or seabed classification, and bathymetry.
• Key Benefits of Using Hydroacoustic Portable Split-Beam Systems
• 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

External link

• Kongsberg Maritime
• Myriax Echoview