Large-aperture 160-element coherent hydrophone array system upgrades and operational readiness testing for real-time continental-shelf scale ocean acoustic monitoring

国际和平研究所请求提供资金，以升级以前由国家科学基金会资助开发的被动海洋声波导管遥感系统。POAWRS是一种变革性的海洋遥感方法，因为它能够监测直径100公里或更大的瞬时宽广区域的声源。除了海洋哺乳动物的发声，POAWRS探测到的其他声源包括生物，如鱼类和甲壳类动物的声音；地球物理过程，如飓风和海底火山；以及人为活动，如船舶和其他海洋交通工具，地震板块构造研究和石油勘探，以及近海打桩。POAWRS揭示了大陆架尺度的瞬时环境监测能力和声源的时空动态，使其成为一项重要技术，可成为诸如大规模海洋生态研究、渔业种群评估和管理、基于遵从性的海洋哺乳动物以及在研究人为声音对海洋生态系统的影响等外地行动中不可或缺的工具。该项目为包括妇女和代表性不足的少数群体在内的多样化团队提供了培训和发展工作的机会。首席研究员已经并将继续通过东北大学STEM教育中心、教师研究体验(RET)、青年学者计划(YSP)和各种本科生研究机会计划，为K-12学生、本科生和教师提供学习和为海洋探索和发现做出贡献的机会。他们已经并将继续访问小学、初中和高中，提供通过海洋探测和海洋探测进行海洋发现和遥感的演示和动手培训。该项目将根据以前海试中发现的问题对被动海洋声波导遥感阵列进行升级。POAWRS由160个单元的相干水听器阵列系统组成。这项技术是为远程定向传感而开发的，包括海洋声音生产者的实时检测、方位估计、定位、聚类/分类和地理测绘。POAWRS绘制的海洋实体包括发出声音的海洋哺乳动物，如来自不同物种的鲸目动物和鳍足动物、各种含钠鱼类和甲壳类物种、航运和其他人造活动以及海洋学和地球物理过程，如海底火山和飓风。PI将对160元相干水听器阵列硬件进行机械升级，以实现稳健的部署，并增强和优化POAWRS阵列处理和分析软件，以实现实时应用。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The PI requested funding to upgrade the Passive Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing (POAWRS) system developed previously with NSF funding. POAWRS is a transformative approach for ocean sensing, since it is capable of monitoring sound sources over instantaneous wide areas spanning 100 km or more in diameter. In addition to marine mammal vocalizations, the other sound sources detected by POAWRS include biology such as sounds from fish and crustaceans; geophysical processes such as hurricanes and submarine volcanoes; and man-made activities such as ships and other ocean vehicles, seismic earthquake plate tectonic studies and oil exploration, as well as offshore piling. The instantaneous continental-shelf scale environmental monitoring capability and temporal-spatial dynamics of sound sources revealed by POAWRS makes it an important technology that could become an indispensable tool in field operations, such as large-scale marine ecological studies, fisheries stock assessments and management, compliance-based marine mammal as well as in studies of the effects of man-made sound on marine ecosystems. The project provides an opportunity for training and development work to a diverse team that includes both women and under-represented minorities. The principal investigator has and will continue to host and provide opportunities for K-12 students, undergraduates and teachers to learn and contribute to ocean exploration and discovery through Northeastern University's STEM Education Center, Research Experience for Teachers (RET), Young Scholars Program (YSP) and various undergraduate research opportunity programs. They have and will continue to visit elementary, middle and high schools to provide demonstrations and hands-on training in ocean discovery and sensing through ocean sounds.This project would upgrade the passive ocean acoustic waveguide remote sensing (POAWRS) array based on issues found in previous sea tests. POAWRS consists of a 160-element coherent hydrophone array system. This technology was developed for long range directional sensing, including real-time detection, bearing estimation, localization, clustering/classification and geographic mapping of ocean sound producers. The ocean entities mapped by POAWRS include vocalizing marine mammals, such as cetaceans and pinnipeds from diverse species, various soniferous fish and crustacean species, shipping and other man-made activities, as well as oceanographic and geophysical processes, such as submarine volcanoes and hurricanes. The PI will conduct mechanical upgrade of the 160-element coherent hydrophone array hardware for robust deployment and enhance and optimize POAWRS array processing and analysis software for real-time application.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.