Development of a broadband echosounder using multilayer piezoelectric elements for surveys of marine organisms

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23686127
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Naval and maritime engineering
• Research Institution: Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Principal Investigator: AMAKASU Kazuo 東京海洋大学, 先端科学技術研究センター, 助教 (80452043)
• Research Collaborator: MUKAI Tohru ; MOTEKI Masato ; SASAKURA Toyoki
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 積層圧電素子 / 広帯域送受波器 / 広帯域音波 / 海洋生物 / 音響散乱スペクトル / サイズ別密度推定

Outline of Final Research Achievements

A broadband echosounder with a broadband transducer using multilayer piezoelectric actuators (elements) and related analysis methods were developed. The features of this system are that a broadband sound with a frequency band of 20-200 kHz can be transmitted and received, and acoustic scattering spectra of marine organisms such as fish and zooplankton can be determined from their echoes. Since the acoustic scattering spectra include their biological information (e.g., species or taxon, size, and behavior), the biological information can be determined without net sampling. This technology allows surveys of the marine organisms by observation platforms in which net samplings are impossible (e.g., AUV and glider). This technology can be applied to fisheries and to observations for gas bubbles and seafloor.

Free Research Field

海洋音響学