Potential suitable sites for the calibration of Scientific Echo Sounder in the marginal seas around Antarctica

• Main Authors: Qingman, Chen, Guijun, Guo, Guangfu, Luo, Jianfeng, He
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2022
• Subjects: Atmosphere; Cryosphere; Oceans; Antarctic; Southern Ocean; Prydz Bay; Zhongshan; Zhongshan Station; Advances in Polar Science; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Antarctica; Polar Science; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2778/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2778/1/8--APS-2021-0033.pdf

The in situ calibration of Scientific Echo Sounders (SESs) in the Southern Ocean is crucial for accurate assessments of Antarctic krill and fishery biomasses. Because of the occurrence of strong winds, waves, and sea ice coverage in most seasons, SES calibration is usually difficult to perform in the Southern Ocean. Accordingly, it is essential to identify potential sites suitable for SES calibration in the marginal seas around Antarctica to successfully calibrate SESs in the Southern Ocean. Using synthetic analyses of the wind, surface current, and sea ice concentration in the targeted seas, we found that the polynya in the southeast Prydz Bay, close to the Chinese Zhongshan Station, is an ideal location to calibrate SESs based on its weak wind and surface current and its ice-free coverage during Antarctic cruises. Calibrations of the SESs onboard the research vessels of Xuelong and Xuelong 2 during the 36th and 37th Chinese National Antarctic Research Expeditions indicate that this location is a potential suitable site for conducting SES calibration with the vessel in a drifting mode.