BIOSPAR: Development of a BIOacoustic Sensing Platform and Relay System for Time Series Studies of Biologically Produced Acoustic Backscattering

该项目旨在设计和构建一个生物声学传感平台和中继系统（BIOSPAR）。这是一个自主的双波束声学剖面仪，将自动测量和遥测生物产生的声波后向散射和目标强度数据，从遥远的海洋位置到岸上实验室。该系统配备420 kHz和120 kHz双波束回声测深仪，将首先封装在浮标上进行自主部署，并与卫星遥测系统相连。通过距离门控返回的声波后向散射剖面将在上100米得到1米深度区间。所有数据将存储在浮标的大容量存储单元中，以供后期处理。以目标强度直方图形式的部分处理数据和每个频率的10个深度间隔的综合强度将在2小时间隔内平均，每天传输到岸上。该系统将在海上进行测试，并在1990年的一次研究巡航中使用，以研究墨西哥湾流环中浮游生物和浮游生物的丰度和大小-频率分布的变化以及昼夜迁移。现场试验将包括使用拖网系统收集浮游动物和微浮游生物，以便与声学数据进行比较。备选部署模式（海底着陆器、深海系泊）的设计也将进行规划。这一仪器有可能彻底改变我们获取重要海洋浮游生物和生物在一段时间内的分布和相互作用信息的能力。这些数据现在极其复杂，获取成本也很高。

This project seeks to design and construct a BIOacoustic Sensing Platform And Relay system (BIOSPAR). This is an autonomous dual beam acoustic profiler that will automatically measure and telemeter biologically produced acoustic backscattering and target strength data from remote oceanic locations to shore based laboratories. The down-looking system, with 420 and 120 kHz dual- beam echo sounders, will be packaged first for autonomous deployment in a spar buoy and coupled to a satellite telemetry system. Profiles of acoustic backscattering by range gating returns into 1 meter depth intervals in the upper 100 meters will be obtained. All data will be stored on a mass storage unit in the buoy for post processing. Partially processed data in the form of a target strength histogram and integrated intensity for 10 depth intervals at each frequency will be averaged over 2 hour intervals for daily transmission to shore. The system will be tested at sea and used on a research cruise in 1990 to study variations in the abundance and size-frequency distribution, and diel migration of plankton and nekton in a Gulf Stream ring. The field tests will involve the use of a towed net system to collect zooplankton and micronekton for comparion with acoustic data. Designs for alternate deployment modes (bottom landers, deep-sea moorings) will also be planned. This instrument offers the potential to revolutionize our ability to obtain information about the distrubution and interactions of important oceanic plankton and neckton over periods of time. Such data is now extremely complex and costly to obtain.