Re: quantifying habitat with acoustics?

[Patrick Schneider <>]

Hi Tania,
 
 if what you want is something like an image reflecting the topography
 of your areas sea bottom, then probably the best will be to use a side
 scan sonar.
 
 However, if you want to obtain data on height and coverage of seaweeds
 in your area, together with a rough bathymetry of that area, then your
    best bet is using vertical acoustics.
 
 I recommend you have a look at the following sites:
 
 <a  href="http://www.biosonicsinc.com/"; 
rel="nofollow">http://www.biosonicsinc.com/</A> , particularly:
 <a  href="http://www.biosonicsinc.com/ecosav1.html"; 
rel="nofollow">http://www.biosonicsinc.com/ecosav1.html</A> and
 <a  href="http://www.biosonicsinc.com/technical_library/bottom_plants.html"; 
rel="nofollow">http://www.biosonicsinc.com/technical_library/bottom_plants.html</A>
 
 <a  href="http://www.ices.dk/reports/ftc/2001/JOINT01.pdf"; 
rel="nofollow">http://www.ices.dk/reports/ftc/2001/JOINT01.pdf</A> (see under 
USE OF
 ACOUSTICS FOR DETECTING AQUATIC VEGETATION)
 
 I have recently done two projects on SAV (Submerged Aquatic
 Vegetation) detection. In both cases this included also establishing
 bathymetric maps and the evaluation of bottom types. By the way, with
 the same tool you get also estimates of fish abundance and spatial
 distribution, so you can assess your entire system with one single
 tool. And it's cheaper than a multibeam...
 
 Feel free to contact me if you feel this is what you are interested
 in. I will be away from my office until April 22.
 
 Regards,
 
 
 Patrick
 
 Tania Siemens wrote:
 
  > Hello,
  >
  > My name is Tania Siemens and I am studying the way in which fish 
 habitat is
  > changed by an invasive aquatic weed in a mangrove lagoon in the 
 Galapagos
  > Islands.  I would like to use acoustics to characterize the vertical
  > structure of habitat.  I think it might be possible to lower a sideways
  > looking (small) acoustic device and record the images, which would
  > function as a index of habitat
  > structure.  This way I could quantitatively compare this habitat
  > structure (heterogeneity vs. homogeneity) to invaded (grass) and non
  > invaded
  > (mangroves) sites.
  >
  > Do you know of any such acoustic devise that might work for me? 
 Can you
  > refer me to someone who has done a similar study or might be able 
 to give
  > me some direction?
  >
  > Thank you,
  >
  > Tania Siemens
  >
  > 
 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  
 
  >
  > Tania J. Siemens
  > Phone: (607) 255-3191
  > Graduate Student                                                 Fax:
  > (607) 255-0349
  > Department of Natural Resources                                Email:
  > [EMAIL PROTECTED]
  > Fernow Hall, Cornell University
  > Ithaca, NY  14853
  >
  >
 
 
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