Modifying an Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler for quantitative spatial sampling of baleen whale prey in British Columbia.

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Accurate identification of humpback whale diet is important for predicting the spatiotemporal overlap between whales and fisheries. However, difficulty surveying whales from large ships and limited sampling methods for baleen whale prey have precluded reliable data collection on baleen whale feeding habits in BC waters. An ability to collect high resolution prey data from a small vessel is essential for these studies. Subsurface prey near feeding humpback whales can then be surveyed in conjunction with traditional whale surface observations. ASL Environmental Sciences (ASL) offers a possible solution through modification of the ASL Acoustic Zooplankton and Fish Profiler (AZFP). Designed for stationary mooring on the seafloor, we will use the AZFP in a vessel-mounted, downward-looking orientation from the sea surface. This requires modifying the AZFP's external hardware and developing custom software. The objectives of this project are to (i) modify the AZFP for efficient use on small boats and (ii) evaluate the performance of the AZFP regarding its utility for collecting high-resolution prey data near feeding baleen whales.