Ocean Tracking Network (OTN)Northwest Atlantic Arena

Outline: Description of OTN receiver arrays in NW Atlantic

Gulf of Maine: GoMOOS network Halifax Line “acoustic curtain”: Scotian Shelf Minas Passage: Parrsboro “curtain”; tidal turbine array Cabot Strait Line “curtain”: Gulf of St. Lawrence

Telemetry networks in NW Atlantic: USA and Canada Summary of Detections: 2005 – 2010 Preliminary results NSERC Strategic Network Grant

GoMOOS NetworkGoMOOS NetworkStarting in 2005

receivers originally deployed on 11 GoMOOS buoys (now 8 buoys)

~10,000 detections of 63 acoustic tags from 11 different projects

species include: Atlantic salmon, Atlantic sturgeon, alewives, striped bass, winter flounder, and spiny dog fish

buoys maintained by University of Maine (Neal Pettigrew)

Halifax LineHalifax LineStarting in 2007

Originally aligned with Halifax Section (AZMP) to relate to environmental factors

Has undergone several iterations so far to account for potential fishing hazards

Excessive delays in delivery of hydrophones and releases

Present status: 37 stations

Three acoustic Doppler profilers (ADCP) span the Nova Scotian Current

Benthic Pods (BPs), evenly spaced along the Line, provide hydrographic properties at the bottom

VR4/BP Interim

WHADCP IN ONE SUBBATTERY PACK IN OTHER

SBE 37 MICROCAT

S.S. RING

1 METER 3/16" JACKETED WIRE

BENTHOS 966A ACOUSTIC RELEASE

1/2 METER 5/8" GALVANIZED CHAIN

750 LB SINGLE WHEEL ANCHOR150 METERS

ADCP MOORING

SS SWIVEL

ADCP

Halifax Line Moorings: Silver Hake Fishery

DFO Observer Data 2002-07:

Vessel tracks from silver hake fishery indicate intense otter trawl (bottom) activity concentrated in Emerald Basin

Confined to deep water (depth >~200 m)

Submarinecables Vessel

tracksHalifax Line

Starting in 2007

After further discussions with the pollock fishers, additional adjustments to the Line are under consideration:

Request that the line divert east or west to avoid the cap of Sambro Bank (favoured site for pollock fishery). Westward path is shorter.

Diversion from fishing zone 4X to 4W is requested to avoid the pollock fishery altogether there (4W closed to pollock fishery)

VR4/BP Interim

ADCPWHADCP IN ONE SUBBATTERY PACK IN OTHER

SBE 37 MICROCAT

S.S. RING

1 METER 3/16" JACKETED WIRE

BENTHOS 966A ACOUSTIC RELEASE

1/2 METER 5/8" GALVANIZED CHAIN

750 LB SINGLE WHEEL ANCHOR150 METERS

ADCP MOORING

SS SWIVEL

Halifax Line (cont.)Halifax Line (cont.)

Minas PassageMinas PassageStarting in 2010 Minas Passage serves as a conduit

for many migrating fish species which transit from Minas Basin to a range of destinations on the East Coast of NA

MP also has the greatest resource potential for tidal in-stream energy conversion (TISEC) in Canada

Two arrays in MP are designed to: 1) monitor the passage of migratory species [OTN], and 2) detect fish behaviour in the vicinity of a demonstration turbine

[Acadia U.]

Cabot Strait/Strait of Canso ArrayCabot Strait/Strait of Canso Array

Starting in 2009 Cabot Strait is the major gateway from

the North Atlantic to the Gulf of St. Lawrence and many species (e.g. cod, eel, salmon, grey seal) pass through it on a regular basis

Initial deployments cover the gap between Cape Breton and St. Paul Island, but completion of the line will require challenging deployments in waters deeper than 500m.

In addition, a small array has been placed in the Strait of Canso, a narrow passage separating Cape Breton from mainland Nova Scotia, which may be a migration route for American eel.

Grassroots Telemetry Networks in USA• Coast of Maine Passive Acoustic Sensor System (CoM-PASS)

Statewide initiative to assess fish movement in coastal Maine

• Penobscot Telemetry Group – 140 unit networkMulti-species, multi-agency from Upland to Headlands of PenobscotAtlantic salmon (smolt and adult), Atlantic and shortnose sturgeon, striped

bass, alewives, sea lamprey- survival and behavior: dams, rivers, estuary, and bay

• ACT - Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry NetworkCollaborative approach to telemetry data exchange on US east coastHistory: 2005 - 12 researchers

2008 - 31 researchers; >2200 shared transmitter codes;add FACT

2010 – 62 researchers; >3700 shared transmitter codes

CoM-Pass and Affiliated Studies 1996-present

Grassroots Telemetry Networks in Canada• Atlantic Salmon Federation

Atlantic salmon smolt tagging in Bay of Fundy

• Fisheries & Oceans Canada (DFO) - species specialists G. Lacroix – Atlantic salmon in Bay of Fundy R. Bradford – Atlantic salmon in upper BoF S. Campana – cod in GoSL; dogfish on the Scotian Shelf P. Amiro – Atlantic salmon smolts in LaHave River

• OTN NSERC Strategic Network Grant I. Flemming – Atlantic salmon migration pathways J. Dodson – American eel migrations M. Dadswell – Atlantic sturgeon migration and tidal power impacts D. Bowen – grey seals as bioprobes; cod in Gulf of St. Lawrence

• Other Initiatives M. Stokesbury – tuna (acoustic+satellite tracking)

Summary of Detection Data To Date Network 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

GoMOOS: Buoys A-F, I-N NA 9755 29 3 73 18 8

Halifax Line: Buoys HL1-HL37

NA NA NA NA 385 117 688

Minas Passage: Buoys MP1-12; W1-5; E1-5

NA NA NA NA NA NA 15269

Cabot Strait Array: Buoys CS1-CS37; SC1-3

NA NA NA NA NA 144 4577

GEERG: Stations All (5) 26002 48138 NA NA NA NA NA

U.Laval: Stations JDE, LAN1-14; MAN1-10: ORL1-9; TRO1-6

NA NA NA NA NA NA 66718

Sable Island: Grey Seal Bioprobes

NA NA NA NA NA 1203 98

TOTALS 26002 57893 29 3 458 1501 87358

Summary of Individual Transmitters DetectedNetwork 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

GoMOOS: Buoys A-E, I-N NA 10 2 1 8 9 4

Halifax Line: Buoys HL1-HL37

NA NA NA NA 34 29 38

Minas Passage: Buoys MP1-12; W1-5; E1-5

NA NA NA NA NA NA 159

Cabot Strait Array: Buoys CS1-CS37; SC1-3

NA NA NA NA NA 2 18

GEERG: Stations All (5) 1 8 NA NA NA NA NA

U.Laval: Stations JDE, LAN1-14; MAN1-10: ORL1-9; TRO1-6

NA NA NA NA NA NA 78

Sable Island: Grey Seal Bioprobes

NA NA NA NA NA 31 5

TOTALS 1 18 2 1 42 71 302

Organization 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

NOAA - - - 23 26 -

Acadia U - - - - - 21

ASF (Atlantic Salmon Federation) - - - 1 1 1

U Laval - - - - - 58

USGS - - - 9 - -

DFO - GFC - - - - 3 10

DFO - SABS - - - - 1 -

Dalhousie U-DFO-BIO - - - 1 14 17

Dalhousie U 8 - - - - -

Delaware State U - - - - - 2

MSA (Margaree Salmon Association) - - - - - 1

TAG (Stanford U) - - - - - 9

UNKNOWN - - - - 17 179

TOTALS 8 0 0 34 62 298

Number of Transmitters by OrganizationNumber of Transmitters by Organization

Preliminary Salmon Smolt Summary

Status on the Halifax Line: 28 July 2008

Total of 34 Atlantic Salmon detected moving eastward, in transit from Bay of Fundy, Gulf of Maine, and Medway River, NS. (Tag data courtesy of NOAA, USGS, ASF and DFO)

Most detections concentrated in mid-June (one in mid-May from NS) between 60m and 100m isobaths

T1

Status on the Halifax Line: 28 July 2008

Most detections concentrated in mid-June between 60m and 100m isobaths

N

E

ADCP Monthly Mean Currents at T1 (100m isobath)

Surface

Mid-depth

T1

Counter Currents vs Migration?

JUNE

JULY

MAY

APRIL

NSERC Strategic Network Grant:Understanding Species Movements, Interactions, and Environmental

Variability across Canada’s Three Oceans Global perspective: 3 Arenas (Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic) Atlantic Arena Projects

I.1 Interdisciplinary Observing and Modelling Platform (Fennel, Sheng, Smith, Cullen, Taggart, Thompson)

I.2.1 Atlantic Salmon: migration, distribution, oceanographic features (Fleming, Hatcher, Iverson)

I.2.2 Estuarine and oceanic migrations of juvenile and reproductive stages of the American eel (Dodson, Castonguay)

I.2.3 Atlantic sturgeon on the east coast of Canada: migratory behaviour and origin, and the potential for tidal power impacts (Dadswell, Stokesbury, Litvak)

I.2.4 Grey seals as bioprobes: Predicting impacts on their ecosystems (Iverson, Bowen, Jonsen)

I.2.5 Design principles for OTN and climate change impacts on leatherback

turtle foraging and distribution (Mills Flemming, Jonsen, Bowen, Iverson)

NSERC Strategic Network Grant (cont):Goal: develop general purpose, observation and modelling platform that will provide reconstructions of time-varying, physical, biological and chemical conditions of the ocean, and forecast future states Specific Objectives:

I.1 - integrate bottom pod, ADCP, glider for physical description of system- new optical products, acceleration metrics for different species (e.g. salmon)- model reconstruction of 3D, variable physical, biological and chemical state

I.2.2 - key bio/phys/chem characteristics impacting growth, migration of American eel

- how anthropogenic activities exacerbate precarious status of American eel I.2.3 - migratory behaviour of Atlantic sturgeon on Canada’s east coast

- potential impacts of tidal power generation in Minas Passage on sturgeon I.2.4 - role of grey seals in Atlantic cod decline and salmon smolt mortality

- role of ocean currents in seal movement and search/foraging behaviour- role of seasonal ocean variability in sex-specific habitat use by seals

I.2.5 - model to predict probability of encounter between seals and tagged species- statistical methods for estimating encounter rates, movement, and survival- functional relationship between leatherback turtle movement and biophysical

environment

Next Steps: Complete deployments of Halifax and Cabot Strait Lines

Increase number of transmitter tags and species of interest

Relate detection patterns to environmental factors, including ecosystem indicators (NSERC SNG)

Increase transboundary data analysis and collaboration on Atlantic Salmon

ACT – Consider formalization of grassroots collaboration focusing on sturgeon researchers; examine and evaluate transboundary ramifications, and expand international cooperation through use of OTN database

Questions:1) What are the possible concerns/roadblocks to data sharing through

the Dal/OTN database (e.g. security, IP violations)?

2) How will ocean observations benefit the understanding/ interpretation of OTN data? Are physical observations only required, or full ecosystem characterization? Why?

3) What roles do models play (e.g. retrospective hindcasts)? Is an hydrodynamic model only required, or full ecosystem?

4) What are some means to establish successful management regimes using OTN technology and environmental observations?

5) Is there a need to establish additional strategic OTN lines (e.g. New Jersey shelf, Duck North Carolina, Bay of Fundy, Florida)?

6) How do we protect OTN hydrophone moorings, especially the “curtains” which are most vulnerable (e.g. “trawl-resistant” design, communication with fishers, etc.)

7) What worries trackers most about sending data to Dal/OTN archive?

Questions (cont.):8) ?