An Evaluation of Passive Acoustic Monitoring Using Satellite Communication Technology for Near Real-Time Detection of Tagged Animals in a Marine Setting

Passive acoustic monitoring has become a common tool for monitoring tagged marine animals. Recent improvements in acoustic technology have addressed some of the limitations of the system; specifically, the need to manually download data and the time delay between detection and data analysis. Coupling a robust passive acoustic receiver with a satellite communications modem has allowed for remote download of detection log files on a time scale of the user’s choice from real-time onwards. This coupling has also allowed the user to maintain a watch on the receiver’s status and thus affect timely repair to avoid loss of data. Using satellite communication is a cost effective means of monitoring acoustic receiver hardware in remote or difficult to access areas. Because this system requires a surface buoy for the satellite modem, mooring design is critical and will require careful consideration of the local environmental conditions. It is recommended that future deployments of this system include a sentinel tag to aid system diagnostics when tagged animals are absent.