Target-strength studies on Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) in Newfoundland waters

were measured ex situ at 38 and 120 kHz (dual beam) under continuous video monitoring. Each fish swam within an acoustically inert monofilament mesh bag secured 10 m beneath fixed location transducers. Overall ex situ target strength–length (L, cm) relationships were TS=20 log L (cm)–66 at 38 kHz an...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: G. A. Rose, D. R. Porter
Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
Format: Text
Language:English
Published: 1996
Subjects:
cod
Online Access:http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.542.9042
http://icesjms.oxfordjournals.org/content/53/2/259.full.pdf
Description
Summary:were measured ex situ at 38 and 120 kHz (dual beam) under continuous video monitoring. Each fish swam within an acoustically inert monofilament mesh bag secured 10 m beneath fixed location transducers. Overall ex situ target strength–length (L, cm) relationships were TS=20 log L (cm)–66 at 38 kHz and TS=20 log L (cm)–65 at 120 kHz (n=16). Cod TS peaked at aspects of 5–10) oV horizontal (head-down). Full rotation directivities spanned 20 dB. Stationary variations of low amplitude (<3 dB) correlated with swimming movements. A linear model was used to study in situ TS (38 kHz) from 49 acoustic-trawl experiments targeted at cod and associated species at depths from 200–375 m. Significant factors were species composition (40 % of variance), depth distribution (20%), and time of day (5%; total r2=0.65). Modelled TS (standardized to cod) was 1.5 dB higher at night when cod were up to 140 m oV bottom. Night-time TS did not diVer from the ex situ TS–daytime TS was significantly lower by 1.5 dB. Our findings are consistent with cod being neutrally buoyant oV bottom (night) and negatively buoyant nearer bottom in the day-time. Pooled neutrally buoyant in situ and ex situ TS (38 kHz) indicated the relationship (TS=20 log L–66, r2=0.80, n=39).