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ZAP

Sep 26, 2013

Ocean Properties

Oceanographers and marine scientists measure or observe attributes or properties of the ocean that allow them to interpret water or component or organism behaviour. Although Ocean Networks Canada cannot measure all required parameters, many instruments are available to provide useful data.

This section discusses the properties measured and provides links to the instruments that provide all or part of the information. Not all parameters are measured at all locations, and some locations have more than one instrument that will measure the same feature in different ways.

Bottom Animal Behaviour

Sometimes biologists have to see animals to understand their actions related to abundance, feeding, competition, and mating. Thus, a camera on the seafloor can often reveal...

Read more

ocean properties | animal behaviour | underwater video | conductivity | currents | CTD | adcp | density | depth | pressure | dissolved nitrogen | oxygen | salinity | Temperature | water clarity | zooplankton | ZAP

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Ocean Acoustics

Example of the readout from the Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler (ZAP).

In the terrestrial world, we rely heavily on optics and our vision, and less so on acoustics and hearing. In the ocean, the opposite is true. In coastal waters, light only travels relatively short distances (5-20m), so marine animals use light for sensing only the very near-field environment, while sound can travel huge distances (1-1000km), and informs marine animals of distant features and events. Marine scientists also take advantage of the efficiency with which sound travels in the ocean, and use it to both investigate and...

Read more

ZAP | Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | acoustic | data | active acoustics | passive acoustics | hydrophones | sonar | adcp

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A Multi-Frequency Zooplankton Profiler Test

An ongoing collaboration between Ocean Networks Canada and ASL Environmental Science resulted in a test deployment of the new echo-sounder at 300m on the VENUS Strait of Georgia array. The test-deployment is part of the technology demonstration led by Tom Dakin of the Ocean Networks Canada Innovation Centre.

...

Read more

Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | ZAP | Multi Frequency Profiler | ASL Environmental Science

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Sep 26, 2013

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Apr 30, 2012

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Apr 30, 2012

Calibrated Acoustic Backscatter Volume Sv Values

Calibrated acoustic backscatter volume Sv values.

After years of collecting, presenting, and delivering raw echo-sounder data, we have (finally) got around to confirming the calibration of our echo-sounder systems and can now produce calibrated backscatter volume values [Sv]. Shown here is the ZAP echo-sounder data from April 18, 2012 in Saanich Inlet.

The raw counts have now been converted into proper volume backscatter values [dB re 1/m],...

Read more

data | echosounder | acoustic | ZAP | saanich inlet | venus

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Internal Waves Near Fraser River Mouth

The VENUS observatory measures the tide and large surface waves with our pressure sensors, but internal waves also exist and can sometimes been seen in the inverted echo-sounder data. Here is a one hour record of the 200 kHz ZAP inverted echo-sounder data from the Delta Dynamics Laboratory (DDL) on 11 January 2012 (20:00 UTC). The train of solitary internal waves shows up as an undulating layer of scattering material in the upper 20m.

Internal waves are generated when an “internal” density interface is disturbed. The ocean is stratified in density, with dense sea-water always underlying less dense (lighter) sea-...

Read more

Fraser River | ddl | ZAP | Internal waves | waves | salish sea | density interface | flotsam | stratification

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September 5, 2011 - ZAP captures large salmon run.

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ZAP | Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | ddl | Pacific Salmon | Salmon Run

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ZAP Data Available in MATLAB 7 and PNG/PDF

Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler Data Image.

We now offer our ASL Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler (ZAP) echosounder data in MATLAB Version 7 mat files and PNG/PDF plots (the same daily 30 second average plots from our data plots pages. Vist our Download Data page and select “Search by Instrument” to access these new formats.

Read more

data plots | ZAP | Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | MATLab | data formats

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Low Tide 'Sediment Waterfall' at the Fraser River Mouth.

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Read more

ddl | Fraser River | strait of georgia | Sediment | ZAP | adcp | CTD | low tide | Freshet | waterfall

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ZAP Data from Saanich Inlet

ZAP Data from Saanich Inlet.

The Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler (ZAP) data from Saanich Inlet reveals the diel migration of zooplankton, many individual fish, and even strange acoustic backscatter layers.

Read more

ZAP | Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | plankton | migration | echosounder | saanich inlet

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Zooplankton Behaviour and Abundance

Zooplankton patterns summer and fall.

Seasonal variations including the length of the day, the intensity of the sunlight, supply of nutrients, and the phytoplankton concentration result in dramatic variations in the zooplankton concentrations and patterns throughout the year.

Read more

Seasonal Variation | strait of georgia | Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler | ZAP | plankton | venus

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