Finescale biological patchiness of 70 kHz acoustic scattering at the edge of the Gulf Stream—EchoFront 85

Abstract

The spatial distribution of biological scatterers within the Gulf Stream front is inferred from an analysis of patch statistics obtained from digitally recorded backscattering data. Acoustic data were collected along 10 transects perpendicular to the front using a downward-looking 70 kHz echosounder. Patches were defined using an algorithm selected to search for finescale patches from within 200 × 900 element (approx. 200 m depth × 24 km length) integrated echo data. Based on principal component analyses of 17 patch parameters, we identified the third most important component as a measure of “acoustic roughness” (containing the coefficient of variance and coefficient of roughness of the integrated echo independent of echo intensity). This third component was a good descriptor of differences among patches within scattering layers and between water masses. It is independent of echo strength and patch size which constitute the first two components. We interpret higher acoustic roughness within patches to indicate a more contagious (clumped) distribution of animals within those patches. Classification of patches on acoustic roughness showed that patches were often acoustically different from distant neighbors but more similar to neighbors within the same scattering layer or region. We infer that finescale layers are made up of small patches of like animals exhibiting a similar spatial arrangement throughout the layer. Cross-stream differences in acoustic roughness indicate a greater number of solitary scatterers occur within the slope water than within the Gulf Stream. Acoustic roughness is also reduced at night when compared with day, indicating that the ascent of vertical migrators into the near-surface waters (<200 m) results in a more dispersed spatial pattern.