IMOS BA SOOP - Bio Acoustic Data from Austral Fisheries FV Austral Leader II in the Indian Ocean from the 4th of September 2011 to the 11th of September 2011.

This Bio Acoustic data was collected in September 2011 under the IMOS Ship of Opportunity (SOOP) Bio Acoustic (BA) program on Austral Fisheries FV Austral Leader II (IMOS platform code: VHLU).

Departed: Australia, September 4, 2011 Arrived: Australia, September 11, 2011

Bio acoustic signals allow understanding how mid-water prey species (known collectively as micronekton) such as small fish, squid, krill and jellyfish are distributed.

Mid-water prey form the core of the ocean food web, transferring energy from primary producers at the ocean surface to top predators such as tunas, billfish, sharks, seals and seabirds.The mass and distribution of micronekton reflects broad-scale patterns in the structure and function of the ocean, as well as the dynamics of marine ecosystems.

Acoustic mapping is done from fishing and scientific vessels that are equipped with scientifically-calibrated 38 kHz digital echo-sounders that record a slice of acoustic backscatter to a depth of 1500 meters.