Acoustic monitoring of marine life with a fiber-optic, ocean-observing network.

The application of fiber-optic, high-bandwidth transmission technology is revolutionizing ocean observing by enabling the synoptic acquisition of high-density data streams, including acoustic measurements. A multi-disciplinary collaboration of geophysicists, acousticians, and biologists is developing acoustic observation systems within a cabled observing network being deployed off Washington and Oregon for the next 25 years. This system will include various sensors, including echosounders to detect zooplankton and fish, broadband hydrophone clusters for detecting various marine animals in biologically relevant areas, and low-frequency line arrays to locate and track vocalizing baleen whales across the Juan de Fuca plate region. These capabilities will enable monitoring of acoustically active individuals engaged in feeding, migrating, socializing, and other aspects of natural history. In combination with other tools (e.g., animal tags and remote sensors), these rich data streams will be integrated to monitor ecosystems and the physical and biological forces driving their composition. The use of this powerful cabled monitoring network to synoptically observe and acoustically monitor marine life provides an unprecedented opportunity to systematically study this important area and the influences of climate variability and human activities on marine life. It also demonstrates the immense benefits for understanding the ocean with emerging technologies and cross-disciplinary collaboration.