University of New Hampshire
McNair Scholar, 2021
Major: Ocean Engineering
Mentor: Dr. Thomas Weber, Center for Coastal & Ocean Mapping
Research Title: A Platform to Analyze the Distribution and Abundance of Fish and Investigate the Relation to Seabirds
Abstract:
The ecosystem among the ocean is not limited to fish and other marine species, as seabirds also play a vital role in the marine ecosystems. Observing seabirds and fish simultaneously will help understand how seabirds locate schools of fish and their role in the food chain. There is likely a correlation between diving seabirds and the location of fish. As consumers, fish are important to mankind, as it is a source of protein and nutrients. In order to explore the abundance and distribution of fish, a platform will be designed to assess fish. A sonar is a device that can be used to observe fish and will be incorporated into the developed platform. Rather than the sonar facing downward, the platform will be set to a specified depth and will detect the fish above the platform. With the sonar facing upward, this will allow a better examination of the upper water column. The device will be deployed in the Atlantic Ocean near the Marine Research Pier located in New Castle, NH. This platform could be used for other types of research in the future including, but not limited to oil plumes, exploration, and pollution in this portion of the ocean.
