Recently, with the development of acoustic systems and analysis theory, acoustic resource surveys using broadband acoustic systems and fish species identification research on target organisms are attracting attention, moving away from acoustic resourc...
Recently, with the development of acoustic systems and analysis theory, acoustic resource surveys using broadband acoustic systems and fish species identification research on target organisms are attracting attention, moving away from acoustic resource surveys using existing narrow-band acoustic systems. In this study, a bottom trawl survey and acoustic data collection using a broadband scientific echo sounder were carried out to test the availability of acoustic fish species identification techniques. The test survey was conducted on Sep. 17, 2022 and Apr. 8, 2023 using the Sae Hae Rim (T/S, 2,996 G/T) of Kunsan National University. The sound system used for the sound survey was a split beam type scientific fish finder (Simard EK80, Norway). Acoustic data were collected for 18, 38, 70, 120, 200, and 333 kHz, and information on target organisms was collected using bottom trawls for the catch survey. The acoustic data was collected using broadband mode during the bottom trawl survey. The towing duration of bottom trawl was about 40 minutes and the towing speed was about 3.5 knots. In the first survey on Sep. 17, 2022, a total of three survey tracks were set and surveyed. As a result of the catch survey for track #1, the most dominant fish species was the cubed snailfish (38.1%), cutlassfish and beka squid (24.4%) at track #2, and the beka squid (29.3%) at track #3. In the second survey conducted on Apr. 8, 2023, two tracks were set and surveyed, and the most dominant species at track #1 was the skate (42.8%) and sand crab (29.6%) at track #2. As a results, the broadband acoustic scattering pattern of individual echoes, experimentally extracted from the acoustic data obtained during trawl surveys, showed a very complicated spectrums with many lobes and nulls repeated. Fish species identification through wideband acoustic data analysis was compared with the acoustic scattering pattern of the Japanese common squid. It was confirmed that there was a difference of about 20dB at low frequencies (50~150 kHz) at average swimming angles of –5˚ and –10˚ when the Japanese common squid was swimming. When the average swimming angle was +5°, a difference occurred in the frequency between 100 and 200 kHz. And when the average swimming angle was +10˚, a difference occurred in the frequency band when the frequency was 150~300 kHz, but at the average swimming angle of –24˚, it was confirmed that the frequency bands were almost similar. In order to identify fish species acoustically, it is necessary to develop a verification technique and investigate much more information on the broadband acoustic scattering characteristics of the shore fishes in South Korea.