Fisheries Acoustic Research Program

The Northeast Fisheries Science Center's (NEFSC) Advanced Sampling Technologies Research Group (ASTRG) provides fisheries-independent population estimates of commercially important pelagic fish stocks in the Northwest Atlantic using state-of-the-art acoustic and optic sampling technologies. The goal of the program is to improve the accuracy and precision of population estimates for management and conservation of living marine resources. Fisheries acoustics data are collected from more than 200 sea-days each year aboard the NOAA Ship Pisces and NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow during pelagic, bottom-trawl, and marine mammal surveys. Acoustic sampling operations include continuous measurements using hull-mounted transducers and multi-frequency scientific echosounders. Biological sampling with midwater and bottom trawls, and underwater video deployments are conducted to verify species-specific backscatter and characterize sea-floor habitat. In-situ and laboratory experiments aid in understanding species-specific acoustic measurements. The program is continuously developing, testing, and evaluating advanced sampling technologies during laboratory and field experiments to improve abundance estimates and map spatial and temporal distributions of fish and invertebrates. Acoustic, optic, and biological data are audited and archived in the NEFSC relational data management system.

Available to qualified researchers.

1. Formal request in writing usually to the data owner/contact or Center Director.

2. Requester is contacted by data owner to review and verify the request content and details for data delivery options.

3. If data is confidential then owner will determine is the data may be released to the requester.

4. If data can be released, the data is downloaded and packaged for delivery electronically; or the requester may be directed to where the data is available online.

If data is stored on an internal NEFSC network, the requester may not have direct access to query the data unless they are also authorized for network access.

User must read and fully comprehend the metadata prior to use. Applications or inferences derived from the data should be carefully considered for accuracy. Acknowledgement of NOAA/NMFS/NEFSC, as the source from which these data were obtained in any publications and/or other representations of these, data is suggested.