Aegean Electronics SA provides scientists and fish management in both the marine and freshwater environments with echo sounders, sonars, transducers, catch-monitoring systems, trawl sonars and post-processing tools for accurate fish measurements. Our latest multibeam systems provide our users with cutting edge technology for faster and more reliable scientific results. Moreover, the live streaming capability of 3D survey data provides a valuable decision making tool which has been proven extremely useful in improving any survey trip’s efficiency, accuracy, and effectiveness.
Echo sounders
The Echo Integrator was introduced to the scientific community in 1970 and then Split Beam technology in 1984. Today we provide scientists and fish management authorities in both the marine and freshwater environments with single and split beam echo sounders for accurate fish measurements and underwater science tasks.
Sonars
In order to evaluate how representative fish data collected by the echo sounder are, fish reaction to the research vessel must be known. The sonar is a valuable tool to obtain information about fish distribution around the research vessels and near the surface. Simrad sonars provide a dedicated scientific interface for fishery research purposes.
Transducers
To meet the high requirements of the scientific community and to have full control of performance and quality, all our transducers are designed, produced and tested by our state-of-the-art transducer production unit in Horten. Our range of transducers is made to cover all needs and applications within the scientific community.
Our scientific transducers cover the frequency range from 18 to 710 kHz. Split beam transducer is offered for 38, 70, 120 and 200 kHz and our transducers are all available with the same beam angle. This is required for valid comparison of data simultaneously collected at different frequencies.
Exploration of our seas involves studies of fish and plankton in deep water. Our deep-water transducers are made to resist water pressure down to 1500 meter. These transducers are commonly used on autonomous installations and vessels.
Elliptical transducers are particularly useful in shallow environments like a river. A narrow opening angle in the vertical plane will secure long ranges due to reduced interference with surface and bottom. A wide angle in the horizontal plane will increase detections from a target moving through the acoustic beam providing more data for improved analysis.
Simrad is the first company to introduce a transducer range based on composite technology.
Catch-monitoring systems
All acoustic surveys undertaken to estimate fish stocks must be supplemented with catch data to determine fish species and fish size distribution.
The combination of acoustic and trawl sampling is an established methodology for marine surveys. The comparison of trawl sampling with acoustic recordings is dependent on information about trawl position, opening, depth, bottom contact, catch and water temperature. Simrad provides a range of small and robust sensors measuring the conditions of the trawl or other fishing gear used for biological sampling.
Trawl sonars
Simrad invented the 3rd wire trawl sonar technology in the early 80’s. At that time nobody could foresee the impact these tools and technology have had on the pelagic and semi pelagic fishing industry.
When the first trawl sonar was released, nobody had a 3rd wire winch, and nobody knew how to handle the equipment. This made the learning curve steep. But as always, if you see the benefit of a new product, you go the extra mile to acquire the necessary skills. In the pelagic and semi pelagic industry the trawl sonar is now so important that hardly anyone leaves port without it.
Post processing tools
These post-processing packages are provided by third-party manufacturers:
For marine applications, we recommend the use of the LSSS and/or EchoView software.
For freshwater research, we recommend the use of the Sonar 4 application for lakes and/or the Sonar 5 application for rivers. We can also recommend EchoView for use in fresh water.
Multibeam
For many years, the technology developed by Simrad and mother company Kongsberg Maritime has provided the hydro-acoustic society with advanced multibeam echo sounders for seabed mapping. These multibeam systems have defined new standards regarding accuracy and reliability.
Simrad has taken this technology even further. Multibeam echo sounder and sonar systems have been developed by Simrad to focus on the water column for scientific investigations. The functionality, technology, and software have been developed in close cooperation with the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the French research institute Ifremer.
Back in 2006, Simrad provided the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the French research institute Ifremer with the new cutting edge scientific multibeam systems. The systems were installed on their research vessels “G.O.Sars” and “Thalassa”. Since then, multibeam systems have also been provided to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the USA, and to several other scientific institutions.
3D Visualization software
The Simrad TD50 software reads the incredibly clean raw data from the ME70 in real time and delivers accurate live visualization of the ocean space beneath the vessel to the scientific lab on board and to the bridge. Previously this data had to be post-processed before the 3D potential of the system was realized. A live feed is now available. Researchers and vessel crews benefit from a new highly effective decision support tool that can enhance vessel efficiency and the effectiveness of scientific surveys in general.
Accurate 3D visualization gives users a better understanding of the marine ecosystem by i.e. enabling precise measurement of schools of fish rather than estimating size and shapes based on models. Additionally, 3D view of bottom topography and the relating bottom habitats further enhances the understanding of the marine ecosystems. When accurate 3D visualization is delivered in real-time, the benefits are significant.
The Simrad TD50 system is especially relevant to projects using ‘adaptive sampling, as the live 3D stream of the survey area enables researchers to see specific attributes as the vessel passes over them, allowing an action for further inspection to be taken immediately.
The live 3D stream from the Simrad ME70 data can be delivered to multiple locations on board which allows for better interaction between scientists and the vessel operators, typically important in demanding operations where the vessel interacts with objects in the water column. Research vessels engaged in active sampling of biology such as trawling can also improve their capabilities, with the Simrad TD50 system effectively providing a ‘long range camera’ below the surface.
