U. Delaware researchers improve echosounder tech for whale research

By on October 8, 2013
Sperm whale (Credit: NOAA, via Wikimedia Commons)

Sperm whale (Credit: NOAA, via Wikimedia Commons)


An echosounder is a SONAR device that transmits pulses of sound into water to determine its depth. At the University of Delaware, the devices are used for studying squid, the prey of beaked and sperm whales.

At depths past 600 meters, however, typical ship-mounted echosounders can’t image squid. So scientists at the university have retrofitted a ship echosounder to be deployable at greater depths, according to a release.

The new setup effectively doubles the range of the echosounder device and will help in whale conservation efforts. By watching whale prey, the researchers say efforts for conserving the massive mammals can be improved.

Image: Sperm whale (Credit: NOAA, via Wikimedia Commons)

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