Ocean Acoustic Waveguide Remote Sensing: Visualizing Life Around Seamounts

Abstract

Collectively, seamounts form a significant biome the size of Europe with important but heavily depleted fisheries (see Box 12 on page 206 of this issue [Etnoyer et al., 2010]). Recently, large seamount tracts have been put aside as protected areas (see Pitcher et al., 2010). Yet, we remain largely ignorant of the dynamics of fish and other nektonic organism movements around seamounts. Hence, there is a pressing need for a survey tool to effectively monitor how stocks respond to management closures, and to determine which fisheries might actually be sustainable.