THE USE OF HIGH FREQUENCY ACOUSTICS IN THE STUDY OF ZOOPLANKTON SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL PATTERNS (15th Symposium on Polar Biology)

• Main Authors: Peter H. WIEBE, Charles H. GREENE
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: Proceeding 1994
• Subjects: Polar Biology; Proceedings of the NIPR Symposium on Polar Biology
• Online Access: https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_uri&item_id=5224; http://id.nii.ac.jp/1291/00005224/; https://nipr.repo.nii.ac.jp/?action=repository_action_common_download&item_id=5224&item_no=1&attribute_id=18&file_no=1

Knowledge of the three-dimensional spatial structure of zooplankton populations and the change in this structure through time is fundamental to studies of plankton community dynamics. Although conceptual models portraying the time/space scales of plankton pattern and variability exist, data setsrequired to test their relationship to reality are lacking. High frequency acoustical systems (～100 kHz to 1 MHz) are capable of simultaneously resolving individual zooplankton and mapping substantial ocean volumes. This approach provides investigators with new tools for investigating the processes controlling zooplankton distribution and abundance. The versatility of bioacoustical systems is exemplified by the variety of deployment modes already in existence, including use on submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, towed-bodies, net systems, moorings, and buoys. The processing and interpretation of bioacoustical datarequire substantial development. Theoretical models of volume backscattering from zooplankton and visualization of three-dimensional data sets are needed. A fundamental limitation in existing systems is the inability to discriminate and identify species. This is a basic impediment to the quantification of community composition.