Applications
Scientific echosounders are commonly used by International, Federal, State and Local government and management agencies, as well as private-sector consultants working for these public agencies. Academic institutions have realized and are teaching the value of sampling non-invasively with sound to enhance both the spatial coverage and objectivity of fisheries sampling. Fisheries management agencies such as the membership of ICES and the United States National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) commonly use scientific sonar for stock assessment purposes, such as herring biomass assessment for resource management purposes.
More recently, the acoustic data collected has been valuable in underwater habitat assessment and classification for the variables; seabed type (e.g. rock, mud, sand) and submersed aquatic vegetation and algae - with the appropriate software.
Read more about this topic: Digital Scientific Echosounder