Possessing the world’s largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), the United States enjoys the benefits of a multi-billion dollar commercial fishing industry. Along with these benefits comes the enormous task of assessing the status of the nation’s commercial fish stocks. At present, many of the most valuable commercial fish stocks are assessed using acoustic surveys conducted from manned survey vessels. The expense and limited availability of ship time often compromise the quantity and quality of the acoustic stock assessment data being collected.

Here, we describe our vision for how an unmanned mobile platform, the Liquid Robotics Wave Glider, can be used in large numbers to supplement manned survey vessels and transform fisheries acoustics into a science more consistent with the new ocean-observing paradigm. Wave Gliders harness wave energy for propulsion and solar energy to power their communications, control, navigation, and environmental-​sensing systems. This unique utilization of wave and solar energy allows Wave Gliders to collect ocean environmental data sets for extended periods of time.

Recently, we developed new technology for Wave Gliders that enable them to collect multifrequency, split-beam acoustic data sets comparable to those collected with manned survey vessels. A fleet of Wave Gliders collecting such data would dramatically improve the synoptic nature as well as the spatial and temporal coverage of acoustic stock assessment surveys. With improved stock assessments, fisheries managers would have better information to set quotas that maximize yields to fishermen and reduce the likelihood of overfishing. Improved observational capabilities also would enable fisheries scientists and oceanographers to more closely monitor the responses of different fish stocks to climate variability and change as well as ocean acidification.

Greene, C.H., E.L. Meyer-Gutbrod, L.P. McGarry, L.C. Hufnagle Jr., D. Chu, S. McClatchie, A. Packer, J.-B. Jung, T. Acker, H. Dorn, and C. Pelkie. 2014. A wave glider approach to fisheries acoustics: Transforming how we monitor the nation’s commercial fisheries in the 21st century. Oceanography 27(4):168–174, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2014.82.

» Field Performance of a Prototype System (1.3 MB pdf)
» Video S1 (29.6 MB .mov file): In situ view of tow body deployed behind the submersible glider as seen from behind.
» Video S2 (19.8 MB .mov file): In situ view of tow body deployed behind the submersible glider as seen from behind.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center. 2013. NOAA protocols for fisheries acoustics surveys and related sampling. http://www.afsc.noaa.gov/RACE/midwater/AFSC AT Survey Protocols_Feb 2013.pdf.

Bingham, B., N. Kraus, B. Howe, L. Freitag, K. Ball, P. Koski, and E. Gallimore. 2012. Passive and active acoustics using an autonomous wave glider. Journal of Field Robotics 29:911–923, https://doi.org/10.1002/rob.21424.

CalCOFI. 2013. Reports, reviews, and publications. CalCOFI Committee Report 54:5–10, http://calcofi.org/publications/calcofireports/v54/Vol_54_Committee Report_05-10.pdf.

Chu, D. 2011. Technology evolutions and advances in fisheries acoustics. Journal of Marine Science and Technology 19:245–252.

Davis, R.E., M.D. Ohman, D.L. Rudnick, J.T. Sherman, and B. Hodges. 2008. Glider surveillance of physics and biology in the southern California Current System. Limnology and Oceanography 53:2,151–2,168, https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.2008.53.5_part_2.2151.

De Robertis, A., V. Hjellvik, N.J. Williamson, and C.D. Wilson. 2008. Silent ships do not always encounter more fish: Comparison of acoustic backscatter recorded by a noise-reduced and a conventional research vessel. ICES Journal of Marine Science 65:623–635, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsr146.

Fernandes, P.G., F. Gerlotto, D.V. Holliday, O. Nakken, and E.J. Simmonds. 2002. Acoustic applications in fisheries science: The ICES contribution. ICES Marine Science Symposia 215:483–492.

Fernandes, P.G., P. Stevenson, A.S. Brierley, F. Armstrong, and E.J. Simmonds. 2003. Autonomous underwater vehicles: Future platforms for fisheries acoustics. ICES Journal of Marine Science 60:684–691, https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-3139(03)00038-9.

Manley, J., S. Willcox, and R. Westwood. 2009. The Wave Glider: An energy harvesting unmanned surface vehicle. Marine Technology Reporter, http://legacy.digitalwavepublishing.com/pubs/nwm/MT/200911/index.asp?pgno=30.

Mitson, R. 1995. Underwater noise of research vessels: Review and recommendations. ICES Cooperative Research Report No. 209. ICES, Copenhagen, Denmark. 61 pp.

Munday, E., T. Acker, and J. Dawson. 2014. Tools for biological assessment using split beam hydroacoustics. Sea Technology 55(2):17–24, http://www.sea-technology.com/features/2014/0214/2.php.

National Ocean Council. 2013. Federal Oceanographic Fleet Status Report. Executive Office of the President, Washington, DC, 42 pp, http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/
federal_oceanographic_fleet_status_report.pdf.

NOAA NMFS. 2012. Annual commercial landing statistics. http://www.st.nmfs.noaa.gov/commercial-fisheries/commercial-landings/annual-landings/index.

NOAA Fisheries Science Centers. 2004. NOAA protocols for fisheries acoustics surveys and related sampling. US Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service.

Ohman, M.D., D.L. Rudnick, A. Chekalyuk, R.E. Davis, R.A. Feely, M. Kahru, H.-J. Kim, M.R. Landry, T.R. Martz, C.L. Sabine, and U. Send. 2013. Autonomous ocean measurements in the California Current Ecosystem. Oceanography 26(3):18–25, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2013.41.

Perry, M.J., and D.L. Rudnick. 2003. Observing the ocean with autonomous and Lagrangian platforms and sensors (ALPS): The role of ALPS in sustained ocean observing systems. Oceanography 16(4):31–36, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2003.06.

Rose, G.A. 2014. Center for Independent Experts (CIE) independent peer review report on SaKe acoustic-trawl survey. 33 pp., http://www.westcoast.fisheries.noaa.gov/publications/fishery_management/groundfish/whiting/cie_peer_review_rose.pdf.

Rudnick, D.L., R.E. Davis, C.C. Eriksen, D.M. Fratantoni, and M.J. Perry. 2004. Underwater gliders for ocean research. Marine Technology Society Journal 38:73–84.

Simmonds, J., and D.N. MacLennan. 2006. Fisheries Acoustics: Theory and Practice, 2nd ed. Wiley-Blackwell, 456 pp.

Willcox, S., J. Manley, and S. Wiggins. 2009. The Wave Glider, an energy harvesting autonomous surface vessel. Sea Technology November 2009:29–31.

This is an open access article made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format as long as users cite the materials appropriately, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate the changes that were made to the original content. Images, animations, videos, or other third-party material used in articles are included in the Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission directly from the license holder to reproduce the material.