CRIMAC – Workshop on Fisheries acoustics and Uncrewed Surface Vehicles

Questionnaire

In preparation for the workshop we have set up a questionnaire that we will base the report on. If you are involved in different use cases, please submit the form for each application/use case where you use a USV. Please skip the questions that is not relevant for your application. Please fill out the form from your perspective even if others may also fill in the form for the application.

Link to questionnaire

Background

The development of uncrewed surface vehicles, equipped with fisheries and plankton acoustic sensors, are becoming mature and offer a realistic option for ocean observations. They offer the possibility to substitute or enhance monitoring capabilities by conventional research vessels. They have the potential to cost-efficiently increase spatial and temporal coverage, increase coverage of areas inaccessible to ships, and more.

The workshop will review the current use and plans of using USVs in acoustic surveys. This includes different platforms, survey designs, and other technical developments relevant for making full use of these platforms in the field of fisheries and plankton acoustics.

The workshop will cover both use cases and the technological and logistical challenges and opportunities.

Several institutions are using or planning the use of USVs to extend, augment or replace ship-based survey effort. The use cases may be motivated by cost savings, access to areas inaccessible for research vessels, or to increase spatial and temporal coverage. This part of the workshop will focus on the use-cases from organizations responsible for survey programs where this technology can be implemented. The objective is to obtain a better understanding of the expectations from the users.

New platforms, sensors, data processing methods and protocols are being developed. These developments span the range from fundamental research to commercially available products. The legal aspects of operating autonomous platforms are an important component in addition to the technical challenges. This part of the workshop will address the technical and legal opportunities and constraints for meeting the user needs.