DT-X assess biomass (fish and plankton) in Papua, New Guinea

​The project involves a DT-X SUB echosounder currently being deployed in a yearlong project to assess biomass (fish and plankton) in Papua New Guinea. The system is configured with 38 and 200 kHz transducers and operating in a fully autonomous mode. The DT-X-SUB is powered by (3) Ocean Sonics battery packs and will operate on a 15% duty cycle to extend battery life and allow for 3-month deployments. The hardware is mounted in a custom mooring frame deployed in 400 m of water. The DT-X SUB system will measure demersal and pelagic fish biomass and the diel migration of plankton over the course of this 12-month study.

​BioSonics DT-X SUB is a programmable, autonomous scientific echosounder often used where tether cables to the surface are impractical. The DT-X SUB is ideal for deployments on moorings, ROV/AUVs, towed vehicles, and/or seafloor observatories. Echosounder duty cycle can be programmed to extend battery life for long-term studies. A single DT-X SUB echosounder can operate up to nine split beam transducers of various frequencies.

The DT-X SUB allows for long-term data collection in previously inaccessible, deep water environments, and studies of temporal distribution and marine organism behavioral patterns. Learn more about the DT-X SUB. Ocean Sonics Battery Packs are easy to handle and service. Each pack uses 72 standard D-cell units, with options for Alkaline or Lithium. The packs are available in two depth ratings; 200m and 3500m rated with titanium endcap and bottom. Lightweight glass fiber composite case eliminates cathodic issues found with metal cans. The endcap connector guard doubles as a lever making the release of the endcap a low-effort and safe procedure and the levers act as carrying handles for easy transport. Learn more about Ocean Sonics Battery Packs.

If you would like to learn more about BioSonics integrated solutions for submersible, autonomous echosounder deployments, drop us a line. We'd love to hear from you!