Acoustic Telemetry Efforts and The Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry

Network:

Matthew BreeceDelaware State University

University of Delaware

Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network

• Loose network of researchers– East coast - Florida – Maine

• Organic/ground-up approach• Means to connect researchers and facilitate data

exchange• Houses a list of acoustic transmitter codes and

associated researchers– Members upload “orphan codes” – Owners of orphan codes can then contact

researchers that detected their codes to share data

Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network

• Developed with sturgeon as a model– Once finalized opened up for other species

• Members surveyed to determine existing assets

• 97% of researchers are using VEMCO equipment

• ACT currently funded through June 2014– NOAA NMFS Office of Protected resources

Deployed TransmittersYear Researchers Number spp. Tags Deployed

2005 12 539

2006 15 528

2007 25 645

2008Addition of FACT

31 31 652

2009 33 33 942

2010 63 40 1077

2011 69 44 1042

Expired 1606

Currently 69 44 4724

Receiver Arrays

Receiver Arrays

Lessons Learned • Majority of acoustic arrays are located in rivers,

estuaries and nearshore coastal environments• Strategic placement of assets needed– Receivers – Listening platforms – Tags

• Tagged fish have effects outside projects scope of work– Striped bass on Atlantic sturgeon spawning grounds

Concerns• Arrays are maintained on a project specifics

basis• Lack of stable funding to support existing

assets – Continued deployment– Maintenance/downloading

• Duplicated tag codes do exist and are difficult to identify– LOTEK transmitter in Atlantic sturgeon duplicated

VEMCO transmitter in a striped bass

Point of ContactLori Brown

Delaware State UniversityEast.coast.telemetry@gmail.com