Pathway - Phase 1 - Imaging sonar review for marine mammal and fish monitoring around tidal turbines - Report

Monitoring for environmental interactions of tidal turbines presents many unique challenges and requires instrumentation that can withstand extreme environments. One of the best instruments for this task are acoustic imaging sonars which can provide high resolution imagery in turbid waters without the need for artificial illumination. This project presents a review of imaging sonars that are currently available to consumers along with recent examples of how they are used for marine mammal monitoring. Further discussion will include considerations for data collection and processing to enable long term monitoring of tidal turbines.