Characterization of acoustic detection efficiency using a gliding robotic fish as a mobile receiver platform

Ennasr, Osama; Holbrook, Christopher M.; Hondorp, Darryl W.; Krueger, Charles C.; Coleman, Demetris; Solanki, Pratap Bhanu; Thon, John; Tan, Xiaobo

doi:10.1186/s40317-020-00219-7

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…New technologies are being developed to aid in data retrieval, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) that can retrieve data from receivers, as well as systems that can transmit detection data to the surface with a modem and hydrophone. Advancements are also being made in utilizing marine organisms and AUVs as roving receiver platforms to increase detection probabilities (Whoriskey, 2015;Davis et al, 2018;Bangley et al, 2020;Ennasr et al, 2020). A proposed framework for standardization of data across all biotelemetry technologies will increase compatibility of data and improve biotelemetry's ability to inform spatial distribution of marine species (Sequeira et al, 2021).…”

Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Acoustic Telemetry as a Tool to Gain Insights Into Marine Turtle Ecology and Aid Their Conservation

Hardin

Fuentes

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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While widely applied in fisheries science, acoustic telemetry remains an underutilized method in the field of marine turtle biotelemetry. However, with the ability to provide fine-scale spatial data (tens to hundreds of meters, depending on array setup and receiver range) at a low cost, acoustic telemetry presents an important tool for obtaining key information on marine turtle ecology. We present a comprehensive and systematic review acknowledging how acoustic telemetry has been used to advance the field of marine turtle ecology and conservation. We identify the extent of current studies and discuss common and novel research approaches while addressing specific limitations of acoustic telemetry. Forty-eight studies were reviewed, representing six of the seven marine turtle species and all life stages, with most individuals identified as juveniles (45%) and hatchlings (36%). Most studies (83%) focused on the spatial distribution of marine turtles, including estimating home ranges, investigating drivers of habitat use, and identifying horizontal movement patterns and vertical space use. Additionally, acoustic telemetry has been used to study hatchling dispersal and marine turtle exposure and response to threats, as well as to monitor physiological parameters. We identified that acoustic telemetry directly or indirectly informs 60% of the top questions and research priorities related to marine turtles identified by experts in the field. With an increase in acoustic telemetry receiver networks and collaborations across taxa, the applicability of acoustic telemetry is growing, not only for marine turtles but for a wide array of marine species. Although there are limitations that need to be considered at a site/project-level, acoustic telemetry is an important, low-cost technology able to address key questions related to marine turtle ecology that can aid in their conservation, and therefore should be considered by researchers as they develop their projects.

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Section: Future Directionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Systematic Review of Acoustic Telemetry as a Tool to Gain Insights Into Marine Turtle Ecology and Aid Their Conservation

Hardin

Fuentes

2021

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…An increasing number of studies have been reported over the last few years where unmanned marine vehicles have been employed in acoustic fish telemetry studies. With their ability to dive directly into the fish habitat and survey deeper waters, underwater vehicles of various designs so far appear to be the most commonly used vehicle type for carrying acoustic receivers (Grothues et al, 2008;Oliver M. et al, 2013;Lin et al, 2017;Ennasr et al, 2020;Masmitja et al, 2020). Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) with electric thrusters are relatively fast and have field-proven capabilities of detecting and localising acoustically tagged fish (Clark et al, 2013;Eiler et al, 2013;Eiler et al, 2019), but onboard energy resources strictly constrain mission times for these platforms, and they often require proximity to ship or shore for communication and navigational assistance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Persistent Sea-Going Platform for Robotic Fish Telemetry Using a Wave-Propelled USV: Technical Solution and Proof-of-Concept

Dallolio

Bjerck²,

Urke³

et al. 2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Over the last few decades, acoustic fish telemetry has developed into a viable approach for remote monitoring of fish behaviour in the marine environment. Simultaneously, unmanned surface and underwater vehicles have found extensive use as scalable, persistent and cost-effective platforms for ocean observation. Equipping such robotic vehicles with fish telemetry receivers constitutes an emerging approach with the potential to significantly push the current operational limits of fish movement studies at sea. Here, we present an energy-autonomous robotic fish telemetry platform realised through the integration of a real-time acoustic receiver into an ocean-going wave- and solar-powered unmanned surface vehicle. The vehicle frame and energy harvesting solutions are based on the commercially available AutoNaut USV, while the vehicle’s control and communication systems were developed using open-source software and standard hardware components. The open architecture permitted deep integration of the acoustic receiver as a system-level payload making fish detections and other sensor data available in real-time to the vehicle’s onboard control system. The vehicle is thus prepared with local situational awareness to support autonomous control during vehicle-fish encounters, as well as conventional interfaces for remote piloting and data management through long-range wireless communication links and the Internet. The vehicle concept was investigated theoretically and experimentally in an acoustic range test and a full-scale sea trial. When driven passively by waves, tag detection performance was comparable to that of traditional moored receivers, while activation of the auxiliary electric thruster caused a reduction in detection radius of more than 50%, confirming wave-power as the ideal mode of propulsion. Finally, by deploying the AutoNaut over a period of several days at the outskirts of a Norwegian fjord during the seaward migration of Atlantic salmon post-smolts, we demonstrated that the vehicle was able to detect an acoustically tagged post-smolt into the open ocean beyond the reach of the fjord’s stationary receiver grid, while using only wave- and solar energy harvesting to power its operation. The ability to observe small individual fish in the ocean environment using an energy-autonomous robotic vehicle creates novel and unprecedented opportunities for scientific inquiry in fish behaviour and movement ecology studies at sea.

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“…However, because active tracking is labor‐intensive and as it often restricts the sample size compared with a passive tracking approach (e.g., frequently only one animal can be tracked at a time and the duration over which animals can be tracked is usually limited), methods using fixed acoustic receivers have been favored in telemetry studies (Brownscombe et al, 2019; Fetterplace et al, 2016). Novel active tracking techniques have been recently developed, such as autonomous robotic technology or receivers attached to large, free‐ranging animals to enable detection of individuals of the target species (Carlon, 2015; Ennasr et al, 2020), none of which are currently suitable for most rivers. Thus, to counter the limitations of existing passive telemetry in small‐ to moderate‐sized riverine systems and enhance the collected information on smolts during their freshwater migration phase, we developed a novel framework that integrates fixed acoustic receivers and active tracking by systematic canoe transects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The benefits of merging passive and active tracking approaches: New insights into riverine migration by salmonid smolts

et al. 2022

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The process of smolting is a critical phase in the life cycle of anadromous salmonids, and it has been associated with substantial rates of mortality. Survival during freshwater and marine migration is known to have population-level effects; thus, an understanding of the patterns of mortality has the potential to yield important insights into population bottlenecks. Despite important advancements in tracking techniques, the specifics of mortality events in anadromous salmonids during their initial migration to sea remain somewhat elusive. Here, we develop a framework combining spatial and temporal detections of smolt riverine migration from two tracking techniques, which enable inferences to be made about mortality locations, causes, and rates. In this study, we demonstrate that during their initial riverine transitional phase, smolts were particularly vulnerable to predators. Specifically, avian predation appeared to be the main cause of mortality (42%), although piscine predation events were not trivial (14%). Our results suggested some direct and indirect tagging-induced mortality (e.g., through increased predation vulnerability), which highlights the importance of determining tagging mortality in a telemetry study to ensure adequate interpretation of migration success. Overall, by estimating migration loss and its variability, our study framework should help to guide management actions to mitigate the widespread population declines these species are currently facing.

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Characterization of acoustic detection efficiency using a gliding robotic fish as a mobile receiver platform

Cited by 16 publications

References 27 publications

A Systematic Review of Acoustic Telemetry as a Tool to Gain Insights Into Marine Turtle Ecology and Aid Their Conservation

A Systematic Review of Acoustic Telemetry as a Tool to Gain Insights Into Marine Turtle Ecology and Aid Their Conservation

A Persistent Sea-Going Platform for Robotic Fish Telemetry Using a Wave-Propelled USV: Technical Solution and Proof-of-Concept

The benefits of merging passive and active tracking approaches: New insights into riverine migration by salmonid smolts

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