Side Scan Fish Finders

Side-scan sonar can help you see sturgeon. Scientists from NOAA and Virginia Commonwealth University recently conducted surveys in the James River during sturgeon spawning time. They wanted to correlate information from fish sampling with data on habitat quality. NOAA’s sonar images revealed fish with features similar to those of an adult sturgeon. lowrance portable fish finders

While side imaging is not as useful as down imaging, it can still help anglers. These devices typically include two transducers, so they can view both sides of the water and see fish from different angles. Most side imaging fish finders are premium models, which will cost a bit more than their down imaging cousins. Some side imaging models include down imaging as well, so anglers can toggle between the two modes when fishing.

A side-scan sonar system is made up of a monitoring unit and a transducer towed at a specific depth. This transducer then sends out sound pulses to the water, which cause reflections and echoes off the seafloor. The transducers then record the backscatter, which varies in intensity depending on the density of the material beneath the surface. To ensure accurate results, the system should be synchronized with a GPS navigation system and image processing software.

This method can be used in conjunction with scuba diving. The side-scan method is not only useful for scuba diving, but also for monitoring the structure of the reef. It is especially helpful for reef management since future surveys could help detect movement. Moreover, the results of coupled surveys should be archived in order to provide reliable data for managers of a particular reef.

Side-scan sonars are a popular choice for seafloor mapping. These devices provide high-resolution images of the seafloor. They are used for scientific studies and are not expensive. Aside from that, they can be used in recreational fishing. The data collected can help fishers understand the deeper features of a sea.

Aside from side-scan sonar, these devices can also detect features in the water column. SGD features are more visible in down scan sonar images and may be difficult to identify in side-scan sonar images. However, a down scan sonar image shows the presence of lineaments on the seafloor. This may be due to suspended sediments. A down scan sonar image of a 455 kHz frequency is more likely to show the presence of coralline seafloor.

In the study, video recordings were converted to frame data and the frame area was fixed at three m width and three meters height. The result was a 16.2 m3 coverage area. One video recording consisted of 50 video frames. Using the software program DotDot Goose, each video frame was then counted to determine the number of fish in each frame. This was done by calculating the mean number of fish in each video frame.