Contents

The BioSonics Spring edition of SOUNDINGS contains new information on the use of hydroacoustics for underwater habitat assessment and resource management in numerous locations around the world.

BioSonics Hydroacoustic Systems enable you to collect bathymetric, fish, plankton, plant, and sediment measurements from underwater habitats more quickly and objectively than any other combination of methods. Hydroacoustic tools can save you both time and money in the performance of your underwater assessment activities.

Our number one goal is to provide the best hydroacoustic tools for underwater habitat detection, assessment, and monitoring. We welcome your input and feedback. If you would like to share news of your experiences using the BioSonics echosounder system, please send us an e-mail or give us a call. We look forward to hearing from you.


Tim Acker,President

BioSonics, Inc.

In each issue of SOUNDINGS, we share news from our users. Our goal is to provide you with insights into how others are using advanced hydroacoustics to address their research, assessment, and management needs.


Though not all of the submissions are featured in our newsletter, many can be found in our Applications and Document Libraries.

Ray Valley and Melissa Drake of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources conducted ground truth experiments using a BioSonics digital echosounder to test the integration of hydroacoustic data with GIS and GPS to detect changes to submersed vegetation biovolume, important for many Minnesota fish species. This was done by comparing estimates of bottom depth, plant height, and depth to the top of the plant, enabled by using hydroacoustic data analyzed with EcoSAV vegetation analysis software and compared to results from diving observations. Click Here to learn more.



Click here to contact Ray Valley by e-mail.

This study utilized a methodology of mapping SAV (Submersed Aquatic Vegetation) using a boat mounted underwater video camera and hydroacoustic system that has also been used by Island County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) and in a joint effort of San Juan MRC and Friends of the San Juan's. A beach walk was also completed to accurately map the shoreward margin of SAV and to classify the substrate type in the intertidal zone. The combination of these two methods produced an accurate map of SAV that included both the seaward and shoreward margins of the vegetated zone, including the attachment substrate in a cost-effective manner. Click Here to learn more.


Click here to contact Chris Fairbanks by e-mail.

Erhan Mutlu of the Middle East Technical University in Turkey has been using BioSonics equipment in the Black Sea. He has been using the BioSonics echosounder to study some unusual targets, jellyfish ( Aurelia aurita ), copepods (Calanus euxinus), and the arrow worm (Sagitta setosa).

The northern Gulf of Mexico has the largest number of artificial reefs in the world. Although positively accepted by groups such as recreational and commercial fishers, recreational divers, environmental advocacy organizations, and federal and state resource mangers, little is known about the ecological importance of these artificial reefs. Click Here to learn more about what Kevin Boswell is doing in the Gulf of Mexico.

Click here to contact Kevin Boswell by e-mail.

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Agustin Monteoliva of Barcelona has been actively using his BioSonics DT-X system for evaluating fish abundance in reservoirs. Click Here to learn more about what he is doing.

Aplicación de un nuevo método para la evaluación censal de la ictiofauna de embalses: hidroacústica digital con haz vertical y horizontal.

by

Agustin Monteoliva - Echohydros
and
Patrick Schneider - AQUASON

RESUMEN

Se valoran nuevas posibilidades de censado de peces en embalses mediante el uso de la última tecnología hidroacústica (ecosonda de haz partido) realizando ecosondeos dinámicos -con orientación del haz tanto en vertical como en horizontal-, apoyados en un sistema de posicionamiento simultáneo con DGPS. Además, se plantea un procedimiento coherente de estratificación de los muestreos directos y de elaboración de cartografía temática digital.

Los resultados han permitido identificar fuentes de errores notables en los métodos al uso, entre los que destacan la sobreestimación debida a las burbujas y a larvas emergentes de insectos. Se recomienda una actualización tecnológica en este campo, dado el indudable interés que tiene disponer de estimaciones realistas de abundancia y biomasa de peces en este tipo de sistemas, tanto para los estudios como para la gestión limnológica.



English Abstract

New possibilities for evaluating fish abundance in reservoirs through latest hydroacoustic technology (split beam echosounder), combining echosoundings with vertical and horizontal beaming and using simultaneous positioning with DGPS are discussed.
Additionally, a coherent procedure for stratifying the direct sampling and the elaboration of digital thematic maps is proposed.

The results have led to the identification of important sources of error in the methods currently in use, particularly the overestimation of fish abundance due to bubbles and emerging insect larvae. A technological actualisation in this field is recommended, given the unquestionable interest in disposing of realistic estimations of fish abundance and biomass in this system, both for studies and for limnological management purposes as well.

Click here to contact Agustin Monteoliva by e-mail.

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BioSonics will present the workshop, "Hydroacoustic Tools for Fish & Habitat Assessment," at the at the following conferences.






American Fisheries Society - Western Division

May 15-16, 2006 - Bozeman, Montana


Click Here to visit the conference web site.

Please let us know if you will be participating in these, or other workshops and conferences; we would be pleased to list them here.


BioSonics will be attending these conferences. Please stop by our booth.


2006

April 25 - 28 Annual State Lakes Meeting on Planning the Survey of the Nation's Lakes Chicago, Illinois USA.

May 1 - 4 Offshore Technology Conference Houston, Texas, USA.

May 15 - 19 American Fisheries Society 2006 Western Division Annual Meeting Bozeman, Montana, USA.

May 16 - 19 Oceans 2006 Asia Pacific Swissotel The Stamford, Singapore.

May 22 - 26 International Association for Great Lakes Research Windsor, Ontaria, Canada.

May 29 - June 3 Mediterranean Seagrass Workshop Malta.

June 4 - 9 ASLO Summer Meeting Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

June 5 - 7 Sixth International Conference on Environmental Problems in Coastal Regions Including Oil and Chemical Spill Studies Rhodes, Greece.

June 5 - 9 151st Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

June 12 - 15 8th European Conference on Underwater Acoustics Carvoeiro, Portugal.

June 21 - 23 EnergyOcean 2006 San Diego, California, USA.

July 16 - 19 46th Annual Aquatic Plant Management Society Meeting Portland, Oregon, USA.

July 31 - August 4, 2006 HydroVision 2006 Portland, Oregon, USA.

August 31 - September 1 Annual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology Hobart, Australia.

September 10 - 14 AFS Annual Meeting Lake Placid, New York, USA.

September 18 - 22 Oceans Americas 2006 Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

November 8 - 10 NALMS 26th International Symposium Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.

November 28 - December 2 152nd Annual Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America Honolulu, Hawaii USA


2007

June 6 - 8 4th International Reservoir Symposium Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

September 2 - 6 AFS Annual Meeting San Francisco, California, USA.


2008

August 16 - 20 AFS Annual Meeting Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.


2009

August 30 - September 3 AFS Annual Meeting Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

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BioSonics, Inc., Leading the way in Advanced Scientific Digital Hydroacoustics. Providing the aquatic and marine resource commmunity with scientific grade instrumentation and software, consulting, and support for more than 27 years. BioSonics is the trusted name in hydroacoustics, known for the quality of our products and the depth of our client support.

BioSonics is ready to serve you by providing equipment, software, support, and consulting services for underwater assessment and monitoring. We continue to provide innovative products and services for research and management of the aquatic environment, based on sound science and input from our users.

We look forward to working with you on your next hydroacoustic application.

Published by:

BioSonics, Inc.
4027 Leary Way NW Tel: (206) 782-2211
Seattle, WA 98107 FAX: (206) 782-2244
U.S.A.

Editor: Bob McClure, E-mail: Click Here
© Copyright 2006, BioSonics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.