Annual Acoustic Transects

Annual Acoustic Transects

A key aspect of ARK's approach to the krill fishery is contributing data for management, particularly in areas and periods not frequented by scientific vessels.

ARK implemented an Annual Acoustic Transect data collection plan during its meeting in March 2018, following advice from CCAMLR ’s Subgroup on Acoustic Survey and Analysis Methods (SG-ASAM). Since then, ARK members agreed that every season a chosen vessel(s) would conduct acoustic sampling of pre-selected transects. This initiative has been backed up with the acquisition of an acoustic calibration kit for use by ARK members.

The collection of acoustic data from these transects would allow CCAMLR scientists to estimate temporal patterns in krill density between years and determine an index of abundance.

In practice, this commitment has resulted in the collection of acoustic data in transects T16 and T17 in Subarea 48.1 from the 2017/18 fishing season onwards.

Data collected during the past two seasons has now been submitted to the CCAMLR Secretariat.