P.I. Fischer (URI) Proposal #: 0326907 Proposal Title: Development of an acoustic data storage tag for long-range fish tracking in the ocean
Project Summary The PIs propose to design, fabricate, and test a fully functional acoustic Digital Storage Tag for long-range tracking of fish such as salmon, shark and Atlantic cod. These animals migrate over great distances in the course of their life cycles however, their specific migration patterns are difficult to ascertain. Specifically, the PIs propose to fabricate a DST that will listen for and record the exact arrival times of signals emitted from moored sound sources. To obtain additional habitat information, the tag will also periodically record pressure and temperature. The devices, having a design lifetime of two years, would be attached to or implanted in fish using techniques developed during studies using conventional DSTs. The data will be retrieved from the fish upon capture. In case of an implant, an external ribbon or marker would alert fishermen to the presence of the tag. Acoustic detection ranges on the order of 100 to 1,000 km could be obtained with a resolution of a few kilometers, depending upon the tracking conditions (sound channel and water depth) for a given species. The PIs envision the tags to consist of a small hydrophone that will also serve as the housing for the miniature circuit board, timing crystal, pressure sensor, and battery. Prior to deployment, the tag will be programmed from a host PC via a serial communication interface. This work evolves from an earlier development of a temperature-only DST. The PIs have already contacted external vendors to ensure that there is an eventual transition from a prototype tag to a mass produced device.
