Ocean Networks Canada - Hydrophone

Endangered southern resident killer whales return to a quieter Salish Sea

duncanlowrie@uvic.ca — Fri, 31 Jul 2020 20:31:05 +0000

Every year, Salish Sea residents eagerly await the return of the southern resident killer whales to their Summer feeding grounds. In late June, the orca community’s three extended family groups or pods were spotted off the coast of Vancouver Island. This year a total of 73 orcas—made up of J, K, and L pods—have returned to a quieter ocean due to the COVID-19 shutdown, and recent sightings suggest that a member of J pod is pregnant.

To find out more about these endangered social mammals and their future, we spoke to Ocean Networks Canada’s junior staff Scientist Jasper Kanes, who specializes in passive acoustics research methods to study at-risk cetaceans.

Question (Q): How many different kinds of killer whales are there in British Columbia?

Answer (A): British Columbia is home to 3 different ecotypes of orca or killer whales which are culturally, morphologically, and genetically distinct: residents, transients—also known as Bigg’s, and offshores. These ecotypes are also ecologically distinct, meaning they occupy different ecological niches. Resident orcas only eat fish—primarily Chinook salmon; Bigg’s orcas eat marine mammals; and offshore orcas have a broad diet that notably includes sharks.

Members of L pod in Johnstone Strait, July 2020. Credit: J. Towers, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Within the resident ecotype, there are two different communities: the northern residents and the southern residents, two separate populations that do not interbreed and although their habitats overlap they are rarely seen in the same region at the same time.

While they are culturally distinct from each other, many aspects of the lives of northern and southern residents are similar—they live in tight-knit, social, matrilineal families and are dependent on salmon for food. However they have completely different call repertoires, similar to languages, so they are unlikely to understand each other.

Q: Why do southern resident killer whales return to the Salish Sea every year?

A: Starting in the Spring and continuing through Summer and Fall, salmon pass through the coastal waters of the Salish Sea on their migrations from the open Pacific Ocean to spawn in the rivers where they were born. This makes Summer a particularly good time for orcas to hunt Chinook salmon and socialize in the Salish Sea.

Q: What are the indicators of the southern resident orcas’ return to the Salish Sea?

A: The southern residents have a distinctive call repertoire and each individual orca looks unique to the practiced eye, so they are not tracked by satellite the way some other animals are. We know the southern residents are back when an observer spots them on the water, or they are heard on one of the several hydrophone networks deployed in the Salish Sea. Currently ONC gathers data from 16 hydrophones, including 6 in the Salish Sea. Other organizations listening for orcas in the Salish Sea include the Saturna Island Marine Research and Education Society (SIMRES) and OrcaSound, which livestreams their data.

Members of J and L pods from the Southern Resident Community of killer whales travel north through Haro Strait near the San Juan Islands with Vancouver Island, British Columbia in the background.

Q: How long do they spend in the Salish Sea each year?

A: In the past, the southern residents typically spend nearly 200 days a year in the Salish Sea, primarily between May and October. During the rest of the year the southern residents can be found anywhere from southern Alaska to central California, though they continue to visit the Salish Sea periodically throughout the year.

In recent years they have been spending less time in their Summer hunting grounds and they returned late this year. Photogrammetry—which uses photographic images and calculations to make reliable measurements—has revealed that some of these orcas are malnourished and it is widely believed that they spend less time in the Salish Sea due to decreased foraging success in the region. Dwindling Chinook salmon returns are likely the cause, along with anthropogenic underwater noise. Ship noise and other human-caused sounds mask the echolocation clicks orcas use to search for food, which can make their prey more challenging to find. Orcas depend on sound to “see”, so imagine trying to navigate in a thick fog.

Q: New research shows that the COVID-19 slow-down has resulted in a quieter ocean. Is research being done on the impact that hushed seas might have on the southern resident killer whales?

A: Researchers from several Canadian and United States organizations are working together to study the southern residents during these strange times and watch for behaviour changes now and in the coming years. However, if this quieter time does improve things for the orcas we likely won’t see the effects for a while. First, they need to find food. Once they’re fed and healthy, we may start to see more robust body conditions in photogrammetry studies or decreased stress hormones in their fecal samples. The real test of impact will be if their birth rates and survivorship improve over the next few years. So we won’t know how changes in anthropogenic noise has impacted them on a population level for some time.

Q: Recent sightings suggest that J-35 is pregnant. When is she due to give birth?

A: Orca gestation is 15-18 months, so it could be some time before 22-year-old J-35 (Tahlequah) gives birth. It’s challenging to know how many months pregnant she is from an aerial photo, so we don’t know exactly when she's due, besides assuming that she's been pregnant for some months already because she's showing.

In 2018, Tahlequah made headlines around the world for her display of grief after her calf died shortly after birth. Resident orcas have been known to support their deceased calves at the surface and transport them as they travel for a few hours to a few days after death, but Tahlequah carried her calf for an unprecedented 17 days of mourning.

Reproductive success in the southern resident community has been low in recent years: over the last two decades only about 25% of newborns have survived. Scientists suspect the low reproductive success rate is tied to reduced foraging success due to low Chinook salmon returns. This is compounded by the effects of anthropogenic noise and organic pollutants that are very concentrated in apex predators like orcas and can have toxic effects if released into the blood stream, such as when fat stores are drawn on during times of starvation.

J-17 Princess Angeline, a member of J pod in the endangered population of southern resident killer whales, swims through Haro Strait with her calf J-53 Kiki in tow.

I hope that the three new pregnancies spotted through continuing photogrammetry studies will be a turning point for these orcas, but the population trend of recent history is hard to ignore and these pregnancies will only be successful if the orcas can find enough food. This unprecedented time of hushed seas may be exactly what the orcas need to make it easier to find food, but only if there’s food here to be found.

Listen to more orca sounds here.

Hushed seas: monitoring underwater noise during COVID-19

duncanlowrie@uvic.ca — Wed, 13 May 2020 20:28:58 +0000

A new study using Ocean Networks Canada’s (ONC) Pacific Ocean hydrophone data reveals a significant reduction in underwater noise during the COVID-19 shutdown, which may be good news for endangered southern resident killer whales.

When the coronavirus put the world on lockdown in March 2020, David Barclay, assistant professor at Dalhousie University’s Department of Oceanography, recognized a unique opportunity to monitor changes in underwater noise. Without leaving his home in Atlantic Canada, Barclay was able to remotely study the Pacific Ocean soundscape using ONC’s open and freely available, continuous, real-time hydrophone data.   

“ONC operates an amazing network of underwater observatories that provide a tool to characterize the soundscape of British Columbia’s coastal waters,” says Dr. Barclay. “These hydrophones allow us to analyze everything from the force of winter storms to the presence of killer whales—all in near real-time.”   

The research paper, which was recently accepted for publication in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, found a consistent drop in underwater noise since 1 January 2020, amounting to four or five decibels in the period up to 1 April 2020. Using data from ONC’s network of underwater microphones allowed Barclay and his east coast colleagues to monitor noise levels in the deep sea off the west coast of Vancouver Island, and in the Strait of Georgia, home to Canada’s busiest port as well as the endangered southern resident killer whales.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity to study a quieter ocean,” comments Richard Dewey, ONC’s associate director of science. “What we are seeing right now is a significant shutdown, anywhere from 20 percent for some deep-sea cargo vessels and ferries, all the way up to 100 percent for the tourism, cruise ships, and whale watching industries.

The endangered southern resident killer whales have yet to make their annual arrival to their inland summer feeding grounds in the Salish Sea. These social marine mammals depend on sound in the same way humans depend on sight, so a quieter ocean will likely make it easier for them to communicate, navigate, socialize and hunt.

“There is extreme value in having this information from the observatories at our fingertips,” says Dr. Barclay. “We plan to look at it in detail and dissect it over the entirety of the pandemic. This could be an important opportunity for biologists and ecologists to study and understand what exactly happens when we turn down the noise in the marine environment.”

There are other groups, many associated with an international effort called the Quiet Ocean Experiment, who are looking at acoustic data from around the world (including ONC’s hydrophone recordings) to quantify how the reductions in shipping and human marine activities during the COVID-19 slowdown are affecting the amount of noise in the ocean.

David Barclay’s paper in the Journal of the Acoustical Society of America: Real-time observations of the impact of COVID-19 on underwater noise

More southern resident killer whale sounds

Media Highlights:

May 6 | My Modern Met - Marine Scientists Race to Record Effects of Reduced Ocean Noise on Whales
May 6 | Global BC News - ‘Quieter ocean’ from Covid-19 could be a boon to endangered orcas, says researchers
May 3 | Toronto Star - Coronavirus means endangered whales are experiencing a quieter ocean for the first time. Here’s what that sounds like
27 April | The Guardian - Silence is golden for whales as lockdown reduces ocean noise
19 April | The Narwhal - ‘An important time to listen’: ocean scientists race to hear the effects of coronavirus under water

Do fish talk? An innovative experiment to study fish using sound and imaging

kshoemak@uvic.ca — Wed, 26 Apr 2017 21:19:16 +0000

Understanding whether fish communicate using sound is of growing interest and importance. Although many fish species are soniferous⎯they naturally produce sounds⎯we know very little about how and why this happens. Among the approximately 400 known marine fish species swimming in British Columbia waters, only 22 have been reported to be soniferous, although many more species are suspected to produce sound.

Ocean Networks Canada (ONC) is partnering with University of Victoria and the Institute of Marine Sciences in Barcelona, Spain, to deploy an innovative experiment to study fish behaviour through sound and imaging. Combining video and passive acoustics (i.e., hydrophones) with acoustic imaging, the experiment aims to better understand fish behaviours through fish-emitting sounds, and to explore how human-made sounds⎯such as shipping noise⎯affects those behaviours. This ground-breaking research project will be led by University of Victoria biology professor Francis Juanes, who specializes in fish behavior applied to fisheries management. Xavier Mouy is a PhD student in Dr. Juane’s laboratory who also works for JASCO Applied Sciences; Mouy plans to use the data from this experiment for his thesis.

Figure 1. The fish behaviour monitoring experient will be deployed in the Strait of Georgia near the delta dynamics laboratory at a depth of 150 metres.

Innovative use of combined technologies

In order to evolve this research idea into a practical experiment, ONC hosted multi-team discussions for a year prior to the deployment during Expedition 2017: Wiring the Abyss aboard the CCGS John P. Tully. The delta dynamics laboratory site in the Strait of Georgia (Figure 1) was selected as an optimal location for this experiment due to the documented presence of a diverse fish community in that area.

Figure 2. Instrument platform with mounted video camera, LED lights, ARIS dual frequency sonar (acoustic camera), subsea instrument interface module (SIIM) and underwater power supply cable.

The instrument platform for this experiment (Figure 2) contains a video camera with a pair of LED lights and a dual frequency imaging sonar (ARIS 3000), an ‘acoustic camera’ that produces a clear image of underwater objects by reflecting sound pulses generated by the sonar transducer. This hardware is controlled by a subsea instrument interface module (SIIM) that provides power to all the instruments and Ethernet data connectivity with the Strait of Georgia observatory shore station. Data generated by the hardware will flow through ONC’s data management system, Oceans 2.0, providing global access in real time.

Additionally, a hydrophone will be positioned within the field of view of both the video and acoustic cameras (Figure 3) so that sounds generated by fishes will be easily associated with camera images. The acoustic camera will be particularly useful at this location where waters often get “murky” with the suspended sediments from the dynamic Fraser River delta.

Figure 3. Conceptual diagram of the Strait of Georgia seafloor monitoring infrastructure that will be deployed for the fish behavior monitoring experiment in May 2017 (left). In detail (right) the instrument platform (blue) will house a SubC Imaging Dragonfish video camera with LED lights, the ARIS dual frequency sonar, and an ICListen hydrophone. The hydrophone will be placed in the overlapping field of view of both imaging devices (shaded grey triangular areas). Orange lines represent the Strait of Georgia observatory network of underwater fiber-optic cables. SLIP= seismic liquefaction in situ penetrometer. NOTE: this diagram is not to scale.

In the weeks leading up to deployment in early May 2017, ONC’s marine engineers, scientists, software developers, and data specialists collaborated on an intense routine of tests at ONC’s Marine Technology Centre in Sidney. During this final testing stage, the instruments were submerged in a large seawater test tank to confirm they were working properly and that data was flowing and archiving to Oceans 2.0 (Figure 4).

Figure 4. (Top) The experiment instrument platform is lowered into the seawater test tank at ONC’s Marine Technology Centre. (Below) The video and acoustic camera computer interfaces during tests. In order to set instrument configuration settings, a plastic cone was lowered into the test tank and in the field of view of both cameras. For the ARIS imaging sonar, adjusting settings⎯such as recording frame rates and the number of acoustic beams per sample⎯provide optimal data outputs and high quality images. These settings can be fine-tuned once the instrument is deployed in the field.

Study objectives

The objectives of the proposed study are to:

identify and characterize the types of sounds produced by Strait of Georgia fish species;
assess obvious changes of fish behavior (such as movement, vocalizations, and predator-prey interactions) due to changes in underwater noise levels;
determine whether the number of fish sounds in recordings can be used to infer fish abundance; and
define if artificial lighting from underwater video observatories affect the density of fish population near the monitoring location (by light attraction or avoidance).

This experiment will be a great addition to ONC’s long-term ocean monitoring program in the Salish Sea. It will also benefit from all the co-located instruments that are constantly monitoring other oceanographic variables such as sea temperature, salinity, turbidity, currents, and dissolved oxygen. This will allow fish ecologists to correlate if fish abundance patterns and behaviors are also being affected by changing ocean conditions. Finally, University of Victoria scientists are hoping this experiment will generate practical information that can support regulation agencies in defining noise disturbance criteria for British Columbia waters. Results from this experiment may also support research programs such as the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s ECHO (Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation) program.

For further information about this new experiment, please contact ONC Staff Scientist Fabio De Leo.

Listening station to study impact of ship noise on whales

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 17:05:10 +0000

September 15, 2015 Vancouver, B.C.

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA), with support from the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada and JASCO Applied Sciences, has deployed a hydrophone listening station that will monitor underwater vessel noise in the Strait of Georgia. Underwater noise has been identified as a key threat to at-risk whales.

Orcas in the Strait of Georgia, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. (Credit: BeamReach.org)

The hydrophone listening station deployment and monitoring activities are part of the Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program. The program aims to better understand and manage the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of British Columbia.

The newly-deployed listening station is located under water in the inbound shipping lane of the Strait of Georgia, and will be monitoring and reporting on ambient noise levels, marine mammal detections, and passing vessel noise. Working in collaboration with the Pacific Pilotage Authority and the British Columbia Coast Pilots, the intention is to maneuver as many deep sea vessels as possible over designated way-points in order to capture associated vessel noise accurately. This information will help scientists understand the different levels of underwater noise created by different types of vessels. It will also allow for the future testing of possible mitigation solutions, for example the cleaning of ship hulls to potentially reduce underwater noise.

The hydrophone listening station being deployed off the E/V Nautilus.

The hydrophone listening station was maneuvered into position on September 14 during Ocean Networks Canada’s annual expedition using the exploration vessel (E/V) Nautilus and its ROV (remotely operated vehicle) Hercules. Ocean Networks Canada is also contributing in-kind support by providing access to its system of underwater cable infrastructure, data storage and data reporting. JASCO Applied Sciences supplied two of its AMAR Observer acoustic monitoring stations, as well as the PortListen and PAMView data processing programs.

The ECHO listening station ready for deployment.

“Monitoring and understanding sound and its impact on marine mammals is a crucial aspect of good ocean management. Ocean Networks Canada is delighted to be partnering with JASCO and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority to deliver this world class sound detection, analysis, and reporting system,” said Kate Moran, President and Chief Executive Officer of ONC.

“We are working together with scientists, shipping industries, conservation and environmental groups, First Nations individuals and government agencies to take proactive action to improve conditions for whales,” said Duncan Wilson, Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Port of Vancouver.

The ECHO Program’s goal is to find ways to reduce impacts that shipping may have on at-risk whales in our region. The intention is to develop and trial potential solutions in the coming years, which may include such things as incentives for the use of green vessel technology or changes to operational activities of ocean going vessels

Download ECHO listening platform recordings.

Listen to underwater sounds captured by Ocean Networks Canada hydrophones

More information about Vancouver Fraser Port Authority Echo Program

PDF File:

Underwater Noise Infographic by Port of Vancouver

Hydrophones 101 by Ocean Networks Canada

Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake

dwowens@uvic.ca — Thu, 24 Apr 2014 20:06:29 +0000

Multiple Ocean Networks Canada instruments recorded a magnitude 6.6 earthquake that struck beneath the seafloor off northern Vancouver Island at 8:10 PM (Pacific Daylight Time), 23 April 2014. Shaking from the earthquake was felt throughout Vancouver Island and by many people on the lower mainland in southwestern British Columbia.

Maps showing earthquake epicentre and aftershock locations (above, detail map shown above-right) and moderate to light shaking felt across northern Vancouver Island (lower map). The epicentre was 94 km south of Port Hardy, British Columbia and approximately 250 km north of NEPTUNE installations at Cascadia Basin. (Click to enlarge.)

Seismic Data

The main shock and numerous subsequent aftershocks were clearly recorded by seismometers at Cascadia Basin and Endeavour, as shown in data below. (Some of the smaller aftershocks shown in the seismic data from Endeavour may be associated with unrelated small local earthquakes that are frequently observed in this seismically active region.)

Earthquake initial shock and subsequent aftershocks recorded by the Cascadia Basin and Endeavour seismometers between 3:10-5:30AM, 24 April 2014 (UTC time) or 8:10-10:30 PM, 23 April 2014 (Pacific Daylight Time).

Bottom Pressure Recordings

Seafloor shaking was recorded by bottom pressure recorders at Cascadia Basin, Clayoquot Slope and Barkley Canyon shortly after the earthquake struck. However, there was no indication of a tsunami in the pressure data.

Seafloor pressure measured by bottom pressure recorders at three sites on the NEPTUNE Observatory. These recorders are situated at depths of 1285 m, 2706 m and 411 m. Pressure disturbances indicate seafloor shaking beginning approximately 3:11 AM, 24 April 2014 (UTC time) or 8:11 PM, 23 April 2014 Pacific Daylight Time).

Seafloor pressure anomalies (dBar) measured by bottom pressure recorders at three sites on the NEPTUNE Observatory. These recorders are situated at depths of 1285 m, 2706 m and 411 m. Blue lines show unfiltered wave height anomalies, while red lines are filtered to highlight longer-period waves such as tsunamis. Pressure disturbances indicate seafloor shaking (in blue) as the seismic waves passed, but there was no subsequent indication of a tsunami in the pressure data.

Ocean Networks Canada instruments on (and in) the seabed of the Fraser River Delta also registered the shaking, providing scientists at Natural Resources Canada information on how the delta sediments, and pressures within, respond to large earthquakes. An unproven, but commonplace, perception is that earthquakes could cause failure on the delta; Natural Resources Canada scientists are testing this hypothesis.

Rumbles and Crackles

The sound of the earthquake was recorded by Ocean Networks Canada's low-frequency hydrophone in Cascadia Basin, approximately 250 km away from the epicentre. The noise generated was so loud it saturated the hydrophone input. The spectrogram and audio recording of the earthquake are shown below. This recording has been sped up 400% to make the earthquake audible. The crackling sounds were caused when the hydrophone sensor was saturated.

Strike-slip Earthquakes

Seismologist analyses and the absence of a tsunami suggest that this earthquake likely occured on a strike-slip (lateral) fault. Vertical displacement for strike-slip earthquakes is typically much less than may be expected from a major subduction earthquake. The following short video illustrates the distinction between strike-slip and subduction earthquakes.

Hydrophone Records Possible Sea Creature Vocalizations

dwowens@uvic.ca — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:55:20 +0000

At 04:23 UTC on April 1, 2014, a hydrophone attached to the Ocean Networks Canada cabled observatory recorded very unusual sounds from the Eastern Strait of Georgia (depth: 170 m). Click the following audiogram to listen to this recording:

Audiogram of the unusual recording. Click to listen to this recording on Soundcloud.

Spectrographic analysis confirms that these sounds were not emitted by whale or a ship. The closest sound profiles we have to this unusual recording are those of sonar pings, but they are confirmed not to match any known make or model of sonar familiar to our staff scientists and engineers. Scientists speculate these recordings may represent vocalizations from an as-yet unknown marine species.

When I listen to the recording, it sends tingles down my spine!

Dr. Richard Dewey, Associate Director, Science suggested that “it may be possible that we’ve recorded the Cadborosaurus, a legendary creature known to inhabit the waters of the Salish Sea. Most often seen in Cadboro Bay, near the University of Victoria, this is the first recording I’m aware of. When I listen to the recording, it sends tingles down my spine!”

When processed through computer programs to generate a spectrogram, a frequency versus time representation of the audio trace, the story becomes a little more clear:

Spectrogram derived from the recording. (Click to enlarge.)

Several snake-like sea creatures seem to be suggested in spectrogram data, "but further investigation is required to confirm whether this may represent detection of a new species or not," added Dr. Dewey.

Spectral and Harmonic Analysis

dwowens@uvic.ca — Thu, 26 Sep 2013 21:42:47 +0000

Although humans live in a world dictated by the steady march of time, and that we typically experience events in the time domain, there is an alternate realm in which periodic time series can be analyzed. Apart from the mean and trend, more complex and periodic characteristics of a time series may be revealed by analyzing the frequency content of the data. For ocean sciences, this type of analysis can be divided into two branches: spectral analysis and harmonic analysis. Both have the intent to extract information about the magnitude and relations of the periodicity, or repeated nature of signals in the time series. Recently, more advanced techniques, such as wavelet analysis, have aided some investigations, but they are beyond the scope of this brief explanation.

Once the mean and linear trend of a time series have been removed (subtracted from the original time series), many of the remaining fluctuations can be characterized by examining the periodicity of the fluctuations. These are the portions of the signal that repeat at fixed, or even variable, intervals. In spectral analysis, it is assumed that the fluctuations can be represented by simple cosine (or sine) wave functions [Acos(ω+φ)] at specific frequencies (ω) and yet to be determined amplitudes (A) and phases (φ). The frequency of a cosine is the measure of how often a peak occurs (i.e. 100 Hz is 100 times per second), the amplitude is half the peak-to-peak variation in the fluctuation, and the phase determines when best to start the cosine wave to fit the observed fluctuation. In Fourier spectral analysis, the fixed frequencies ωi are determined by the sample rate (which sets the highest frequency resolved) and the length of the time series (which determines the lowest frequency resolved). The Fourier analysis then determines the amplitudes and phases, and represents the wave functions as complex [Aei(ω+φ)] numbers. The Power Spectrum is the squared absolute values of the Fourier components determined by multiplying the component with its complex conjugate. We present a time series of spectra as a “spectrogram,” which can be viewed as an image with time along the x axis, frequency along the y axis, and colour representing the spectral amplitude.

Harmonic analysis is similar to Fourier analysis, but rather than letting the sample rate and length of the time series determine the evenly spaced frequencies, a set of specified frequencies are chosen according to some user specified/external criteria, and then the analysis is used to determine the amplitudes and phases for the selected frequencies. One of the best known examples of this is used to analyze a pressure or current record for Tides. The tides are a consequence of the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun on the Earth and Ocean. Since the period of the orbits of the Moon and Sun, and their relative positions over the surface of the Earth are known from astronomical observations, the “tidal harmonics” (frequencies) are fixed (and known). A complete tidal analysis may include more than 60 harmonic constituents. The results of such an analysis are the amplitudes and phases of the known tidal constituents. Because some of the harmonics are very close in frequency, improved accuracy in the analysis is gained by using very long (>year) time series. Once the constituent amplitudes and phases are known for any one geographic location, then the tides for that location can be predicted, either for the past or into the future for that location.

Nicolai Bailly – Up and Coming Underwater Acoustics Engineer

vkeast@uvic.ca — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 07:00:00 +0000

One of our key mandates at Ocean Networks Canada is to find and encourage highly qualified personnel to sustain and advance ocean industry. At the Centre of Innovation, these young professionals-in-training come from a wide range of disciplines in engineering and science.

In September 2012, U Vic electrical engineering student Nicolai Bailly was brought on board to help develop the world’s first very low frequency (VLF) digital hydrophone calibration system.

Sensor Technologies Development Officer Tom Dakin had interviewed a large group of talented young students from the U Vic Engineering Co-op Office. But he felt that Nico would be an excellent choice, with a demonstrated aptitude in acoustics – in this case music –an electrical engineering background, and a facility with mechanical engineering. “Even Nico’s hobbies showed his passion,” recalls Tom. “He was designing a foot pedal for guitars. This incorporates electronics and mechanical design with signal processing—now that’s what I call a transferrable talent.”

"Even Nico’s hobbies showed his passion. He was designing a foot pedal for guitars. This incorporates electronics and mechanical design with signal processing—now that’s what I call a transferrable talent.”

Nico worked for two four-month terms, while finishing up his final year at U Vic. He’s written the automated control software for the VLF hydrophone calibration system and made significant contributions to the mechanical and electrical design of the system. He even agreed to stay on after his terms ended to develop the system for patent approval.

“I really appreciate Nico’s can-do attitude – we’ve never run into anything Nico felt he couldn’t do,” says Tom. “He’s good on a boat, good in the lab, good at interfacing with suppliers and contractors. We wish him the best and will miss him for sure.” Should he take one of the positions with our ocean partners, I look forward to a new phase in a productive relationship.”

Nico leaves ONC with open water and lab experience in both sonar and hydrophones. He’ll be pursuing an engineering career in underwater acoustics, at a time when ocean acoustic systems are seeing an explosion in new capabilities.

Strait of Georgia Hydrophone Array now Live at 170 m

rlat@uvic.ca — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:00:00 +0000

We have successfully re-deployed the hydrophone system in Strait of Georgia at 170 m. Lloyd’s mirror is nicely represented in this spectrogram from May 2, 2013.

icListen Hydrophone Excels in Innovation Centre Tests

vkeast@uvic.ca — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:39:33 +0000

Working with Canadian industry, Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre helps new technologies adapt for use on observatory platforms, by providing expertise to demonstrate and highlight new instruments for the global market. As a vital component of a world-class ONC ocean observing system, DIGITAL HYDROPHONES were identified as a high priority technology by the ONC science and engineering teams, and represent a significant global growth market.

Instrument Concepts based near Truro, Nova Scotia, has developed new state-of-the-art, fully integrated digital “smart” hydrophones with GeoSpectrum Technologies' transducers—making them ideal candidates for Innovation Centre technology demonstrations. A smart hydrophone is a highly sophisticated underwater microphone capable of digitizing sound, calculating the energy at each frequency, sending data out via the Internet, and even creating alerts for specific events, such as whale calls.

Following lengthy evaluation and calibration, the Sensor and Instrument team at Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre’s technology demonstration facility is today reporting impressive results from calibration tests with the company’s icListen LF hydrophone. “We ran this hydrophone through an extensive battery of laboratory and field tests. Given the impressive specifications in the manufacturer’s brochure, we were very pleased to find that the manufacturer’s impressive performance claims were exactly on the mark.” says Tom Dakin, the Innovation Centre’s Sensor and Technology Business Development Officer and resident ocean acoustician. “I have to tip my hat to the Instrument Concepts engineers.”

For many years, acoustical oceanographer Dr. Ross Chapman has been interested in making measurements of low frequency ambient noise in the ocean. According to Chapman, Professor Emeritus at the University of Victoria, it is difficult to design a measurement system that can provide quality data. "The system needs a huge dynamic range to cover the complete picture in the soundscape," he says, "from the deafening throbs of close-by passing ships to the ultra-quiet distant background."

"I've used many different phones on different systems, but these icListen hydrophones are the best I've seen in many years," adds Dr. Chapman. "They're calibrated to very low frequencies where I've never been able to get reliable data."

New calibration system is unique in the world

The Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre began designing a test plan in May 2011 to independently verify the manufacturer’s specifications and explore this instrument’s capabilities. However, there were no existing facilities capable of performing tests for the unique capabilities of the icListen LF. So the Innovation Centre's S&T team developed the world’s first low frequency, digital hydrophone calibration facility. “Calibration at low frequencies is not an easy task,” says Dr. Chapman. “The Innovation Centre's calibration facility confirms my impression of the iclisten instrument.”

This automated calibration system can very accurately assess the hydrophone’s performance from 0.02 Hz up to 100 Hz. Testing from 100 to 1600 Hz was accomplished via a traditional open water reference calibration system in the acoustically quiet Saanich Inlet. Self-noise, dynamic range, linearity and field tests were also performed with excellent results.

Progressing to the sea floor

Following its initial test phase, the icListen LF was deployed to the seafloor of the Georgia Strait in December 2011, and is currently undergoing an eight-month working test phase as part of an ocean observatory. It is located on the East Node of the VENUS network in an array at a depth of 170 metres. Live audio signals from the LF model are available for viewing on the VENUS observatory network website.

The high performance and fully integrated nature of this compact hydrophone offer an attractive technology for ocean observatories and major international initiatives such as the proposed International Quiet Ocean Experiment. Key benefits include:

The compact non-corroding pressure case
24 bit resolution (120dB of dynamic range)
Low noise
Low frequency optimization (ideally suited to measure shipping noise, earthquakes, tsunamis and large baleen whales that communicate in low frequencies over hundreds of kilometres)
Deploys down to 3500 metres

Looking to future tests with higher frequencies

Instrument Concepts has announced a new affiliate company, Ocean Sonics, which will focus on manufacturing the icListen High Frequency Smart Hydrophone and related products. This HF model is designed for sub-sea applications such as environmental monitoring, cetacean tracking and offshore energy operations. In spring 2012, the Innovation Centre plans to begin testing the icListen HF and is developing a new 100 Hz to 100 kHz digital hydrophone calibration system to accommodate this instrument.

Ocean Networks Canada - Hydrophone

Endangered southern resident killer whales return to a quieter Salish Sea

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Hushed seas: monitoring underwater noise during COVID-19

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Do fish talk? An innovative experiment to study fish using sound and imaging

Innovative use of combined technologies

Study objectives

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Listening station to study impact of ship noise on whales

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PDF File:

Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake

Seismic Data

Bottom Pressure Recordings

Rumbles and Crackles

Strike-slip Earthquakes

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Hydrophone Records Possible Sea Creature Vocalizations

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Spectral and Harmonic Analysis

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Nicolai Bailly – Up and Coming Underwater Acoustics Engineer

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Strait of Georgia Hydrophone Array now Live at 170 m

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icListen Hydrophone Excels in Innovation Centre Tests

New calibration system is unique in the world

Progressing to the sea floor

Looking to future tests with higher frequencies

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