Traditionally giant, diesel-powered boats utilizing echo sounders collected information. Researchers, nonetheless, have lengthy questioned whether or not their engines scattered fish and skewed information.
The resolution was Saildrone, a wind and solar-powered car. Using echo sounders, the Saildrone supplies information on the density of fish faculties, fish dimension, and their place within the water column.
In 2021, the United States Geological Survey, together with a number of companions, together with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF), launched two Saildrone Explorers in Lake Michigan. Looking like a brilliant orange futuristic sailboard, these craft don’t create the engine noise suspected of scattering fish.
The work is a part of a four-year evaluation to find out if the info collected by the diesel-powered boats was biased, and if that’s the case, to what diploma.
“We hypothesize that noise produced by vessels will reduce density, reduce the average size of fish detected, and also drive the fish deeper in the water column,” stated Peter Esselman of the USGS. “The Saildrone also gives us information about lake surface temperature, algae pigment concentrations, wave height, and meteorological observations above the water.”
The 2021 work was carried out on Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, together with on the Canadian aspect. This 12 months Saildrone work was executed on either side of the border on Lake Superior, and there are plans for Erie and Michigan/Huron once more in 2023.