Quantifying Acoustic Diversity

The Use of Information Criteria in Quantifying Seabed Classification Data

Background
Acoustic seabed classification is the process of classifying populations of similar echoes representing similar seabeds. The acoustic response from the sea floor represents more than rock and sand. It is a composite measure of all physical properties of the material, including the influence of biota.

The Challenge
The challenge is to quantify the result as a means to answering specific questions about the sea floor. In our opinion, coloured points on a map left to the interpretation of the user are of limited use. The real power in seabed classification is in the creation of a valid repeatable measure of sea floor diversity.

The Project
There has been significant academic research into the question of the measurement of diversity. We have applied the published results of some of this research and added to the body of knowledge by modifying the treatment of the information specifically for acoustic signals. The results have been very encouraging.

Check our abstract submitted to the ICES Fisheries Acoustics meeting, June 10 - 14, 2002 in Montpellier, France.

History
This particular topic evolved from long term collaboration between Quester Tangent and NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle.

It has been supported by:

• Dr. Lynn Kirlin at the University of Victoria Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
• Future collaboration with the Canadian Marine Acoustic Remote Sensing facility ( C-MARS ) at the University of Victoria.