Scientists collected acoustic fisheries data in mid-water depths approximately 30 to 1000 meters. Fishery acoustics data will be used to characterize broad-scale fish abundance, biomass, and utilization patterns, as well as to locate and document fish spawning aggregations.

This data contains densities of fishes detected using mobile fisheries sonar on board the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. The data were acquired in concert with a multibeam bathymetry survey of Virgin Passage, off the coast of United States Virgin Islands in 2010. Fish densities are presented by size classes, corresponding to individual lengths inferred from the intensity of acoustic target return, in units of fish per 100 square meters.

This data contains densities of fishes detected using mobile fisheries sonar on board NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. The data were acquired in concert with a multibeam bathymetry survey off the coast of Vieques Island, Puerto Rico in 2009. Fish densities are presented by size classes, corresponding to individual lengths inferred from the intensity of acoustic target return, in units of fish per 100 square meters.

These datasets show acoustically detected fish densities throughout the Caribbean ocean. NOAA/NCCOS collected these datasets to help characterize broad-scale fish abundance, biomass, and understand temporal behavior. Acoustic data was collected aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster using 120-7C splitbeam transducer during cruise # NF08-01, NF09-01, NF10-03, NF11-01, NF12-01, NF13-01, and NF14-01. The hull mounted Simrad 120-7C transducer was calibrated to factory standards and environmental parameters where applied during acquisition. Data was collected using 128 microsecond pulse length and had a varied ping rate due to triggering from Reson 7125 multibeam system. The resulting data layers show geo-referenced fish densities per 100 square meter intervals. The fish densities have been divided into three size classes, small fish (<11cm), medium fish (11cm-29cm), and large fish (>29cm).

The design of this field mission is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize the distribution, abundance and size of both reef fishes and macro invertebrates within and around the waters of the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary using, (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated habitat parameters and (3) to use hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of East and West Bank. This information collected will be used to evaluate the utility of an experimental fishing closure on one of the most pristine reefs under US jurisdiction in the tropical Western Atlantic. Data collected during this mission (pre-closure) will provide baseline information necessary to evaluate closure efficacy and assess whether the closure should become permanent.

The design of this field mission is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize the distribution, abundance and size of both reef fishes and macro invertebrates within and around the waters of the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary using, (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated habitat parameters and (3) to use hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of East and West Bank. This information collected will be used to evaluate the utility of an experimental fishing closure on one of the most pristine reefs under US jurisdiction in the tropical Western Atlantic. Data collected during this mission (pre-closure) will provide baseline information necessary to evaluate closure efficacy and assess whether the closure should become permanent.

The design of this field mission is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize the distribution, abundance and size of both reef fishes and macro invertebrates within and around the waters of the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary using, (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated habitat parameters and (3) to use hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of East and West Bank. This information collected will be used to evaluate the utility of an experimental fishing closure on one of the most pristine reefs under US jurisdiction in the tropical Western Atlantic. Data collected during this mission (pre-closure) will provide baseline information necessary to evaluate closure efficacy and assess whether the closure should become permanent.

The design of this field mission is three fold: (1) to spatially characterize the distribution, abundance and size of both reef fishes and macro invertebrates within and around the waters of the Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary using, (2) to relate this information to in-situ data collected on associated habitat parameters and (3) to use hydroacoustics technologies for a comprehensive assessment of East and West Bank. This information collected will be used to evaluate the utility of an experimental fishing closure on one of the most pristine reefs under US jurisdiction in the tropical Western Atlantic. Data collected during this mission (pre-closure) will provide baseline information necessary to evaluate closure efficacy and assess whether the closure should become permanent.

The data set consists of two products. The first product are maps that represent fish average densities collected by active hydroacoustic survey technique in the water column along a transect for each monthly sample. These data are also compiled by location by year. The fish density data is plotted over a bathymetric map. The second product are Excel spreadsheets with a summary of the integration of fish echoes over a sampling period that is used to produce the first product by location.

NOAA's NOS/NCCOS/CCMA Biogeography Team, in collaboration with NOAA Ship Nancy Foster, federal, academic, and private sector partners conducted the 2016 Seafloor Mapping of the US Caribbean project. Several areas of interest were explored and surveyed during the field mission in the eastern Puerto Rico region. H12935 was conducted on along the southeastern Puerto Rican shelf edge using a deep water Em 710 multibeam echo sounder (mbes) at 100khz. H12936 was conducted north of the Isla de Culebra over the broad moderately shallow insular shelf using a 400 khz Reson 7125 mbes. A third opportunistic survey was conducted along the edge of the USVI insular shelf south of St. Thomas to conjoin previous NOAA Ship Nancy Foster mission surveys. During the field mission, a Remotely Operated Vehicle owned by the University of North Carolina collected HD photo and video ground validation video. Data was processed by a NOAA contractor using CARIS HIPS software. Data has all correctors applied (attitude, sound velocity) and has been reduced to mean lower low water (MLLW) using final approved tides from NOAA COOPS. Data is spatially referenced in UTM Zone 20 North, Datum WGS84. The project was conducted to meet IHO order 1 and 2 accuracy standards, dependent on the project area and depth. All users should individually evaluate the suitability of this data according to their own needs and standards.