Subject: Passive acoustics
All,
Thought the following information on the operational aspect of NOAA
Fisheries' passive acoustic buoy deployment to 'listen' for right whales
would be of interest.
Regards,
Pat Gerrior
Passive Acoustics Update
NOAA Fisheries is working with Cornell University researchers to deploy
additional passive acoustic buoys, also called pop-ups, to track right
whales at several key areas off the east coast this year.
Southeast US
Three-buoy arrays are planned to be deployed off both Charleston, SC and
Savannah, GA as early as November for approximately four months to
cover the calving season movements. A line of buoys is also anticipated
to be deployed from the shore out to approximately 30 nm off of
Wilmington, NC to better understand seasonal migration times in and out
of the southeast right whale calving area which extends from South
Carolina to Florida. Data from these pop up buoys will be retrieved
approximately every two months; the buoys are expected to be deployed
for about four months.
Northeast US/Mid-Atlantic
In addition to the acoustic buoys deployed this past winter/spring 2003
in Cape Cod Bay and the Great South Channel, NOAA Fisheries anticipates
deploying 10 buoys along the Northern Edge of Georges Bank in late
summer for a short period. It is expected these buoys will be
re-positioned in the fall off several mid - Atlantic ports from Long
Island south and then possibly, over wintered back on the Northern Edge
of Georges Bank.
While data from these pop up buoys are not ‘real' time at this point,
the buoys will yield valuable information on whale vocalizations by
species, vessel traffic, and a refinement of the periods right whales
move in and out of various areas.
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