Another transmitter, being built at APL, UW, Seattle could be ready before the end of 1999 and could be made available for use in the Indian Ocean off Cocos Island. In this ocean the potential for interactions with marine mammals is probably low, however there are few observations so population sizes and distributions are poorly known.
Surplus submarine cable belonging to TELSTRA (Telecommunications Australia) would be utilized for powering the transmitter.
The success achieved in the design, development & operation of Acoustic transceiver systems and in advanced data analysis has been a big step in the acosutical activities of JAMSTEC.
Suggestions from the Members
The members decided to approach non-Governmental organizations such as IOC to consider these acoustic tools (tomography or thermometry) as additional standard tools in the ocean observing system GOOS. Mention was made of the desirability of including Ocean Acoustic Tomography as a promising tool enabling wide-area data collection (at almost nil running costs compared with contemporary conventional methods) in GOOS plans.
Efforts to meet production and distribution of the transmitter and receivers will continue.
On the Indian side, during this fiscal year, funds are likely to be available as a part of a long-term project on atmospheric studies over the Bay of Bengal. The supporting facilities already developed for analysis of Satellite data on Sea Surface Temperature and the Sea Surface Height Observations from TOPEX/PSOIDEN would be available to supplement the acoustic data.
Receiver arrays for the reception of acoustic signals from Cocos Islands could be placed by India off Madras (Chennai).
JAMSTEC's programs in OAT could supplement the receiver coverage for the western Pacific, if permits for the Kauai source could be renewed, as it is capable of addressing many of the oceanographic processes and prediction problems in the area of Kuroshio.
Studies by IFREMER have demonstrated the operation level to which the data from acoustic transcervers could be used by the oceanographic community in weather prediction or in understanding oceanic processes that the cover the mixing and transport of thermal energy and water mass formation. Acoustic data from IFREMER has already been used in the assimilation models and looks promising.
Publicity of the scientific and technicai achievements OAT and ATOC is needed on lines similar to TOGA/WOCE, in order to attract future funding.
Dr. Andrew Forbes Ph:03-6232-5292 Fx:03-6232-5125
Program Leader Int'l:61-3-6232-5292 61-3-6232-5125
Marine Technology & Information
CSIRO Marine Research
GPO Box 1538, Hobart
Tasmania 7001, Australia
