Marine ecosystem acoustics (MEA): Quantifying processes in the sea at the spatio-temporal scales on which they occur
Type
ArticleAuthors
Godøl, Olav RuneHandegard, Nils Olav
Browman, Howard I.
MacAulay, Gavin J.
Kaartvedt, Stein

Giske, Jarl
Ona, Egil
Huse, Geir
Johnsen, Espen
KAUST Department
Biological and Environmental Sciences and Engineering (BESE) DivisionMarine Science Program
Date
2014-07-22Online Publication Date
2014-07-22Print Publication Date
2014-10-01Permanent link to this record
http://hdl.handle.net/10754/563656
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Sustainable management of fisheries resources requires quantitative knowledge and understanding of species distribution, abundance, and productivity-determining processes. Conventional sampling by physical capture is inconsistent with the spatial and temporal scales on which many of these processes occur. In contrast, acoustic observations can be obtained on spatial scales from centimetres to ocean basins, and temporal scales from seconds to seasons. The concept of marine ecosystem acoustics (MEA) is founded on the basic capability of acoustics to detect, classify, and quantify organisms and biological and physical heterogeneities in the water column. Acoustics observations integrate operational technologies, platforms, and models and can generate information by taxon at the relevant scales. The gaps between single-species assessment and ecosystem-based management, as well as between fisheries oceanography and ecology, are thereby bridged. The MEA concept combines state-of-the-art acoustic technology with advanced operational capabilities and tailored modelling integrated into a flexible tool for ecosystem research and monitoring. Case studies are presented to illustrate application of the MEA concept in quantification of biophysical coupling, patchiness of organisms, predator-prey interactions, and fish stock recruitment processes. Widespread implementation of MEA will have a large impact on marine monitoring and assessment practices and it is to be hoped that they also promote and facilitate interaction among disciplines within the marine sciences.Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)Journal
ICES Journal of Marine Scienceae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1093/icesjms/fsu116