Acoustic Techniques for Assessing the Density and Distribution of Suspended Particulate in the Marine Environment

Ecosystem studies often require measurement of particulate plumes generated by man-made changes in the natural environment. Deep ocean mining and coastal dredging are examples of these perturbations. The University of Washington Marine Acoustics Program has been studying the use of acoustic Techniques for detecting and quantifying plume density and distribution. Measurements have been made in mid-ocean and in sheltered coastal and river systems with good results. This paper discusses the techniques we have developed and presents data from ocean measurements.