Lidar Surveys Jim Churnside NOAA Research

What is a lidar? Operates like an echosounder, except with a short laser pulse instead of a short acoustic pulse. Operates from a small aircraft instead of a surface vessel. Penetrates to over 50 m in clear water, m in murky coastal water.

Two Installations Piper SeminoleNOAA Twin Otter

Lidargram - Nearshore

Lidargram - Offshore

Intercomparisons Intercomparisons have been made with acoustic and trawl surveys Species include sardine, anchovy, herring, capelin, mackerel, and mixed schools (“baitfish”) Correlations are high if lidar and surface surveys are close together (within about four days)

Plus Camera (or Video) Images increase swath width, but with limited depth penetration Images help to identify surface returns Lidar helps to identify image features Camera generally not useful at night (exception is low-light-level camera when bioluminescence is present)

Aircraft flight tracks 20 flights Nov. 3 – Dec. 10, hours, day 21 hours, night km (San Diego to Beijing) 818 schools

Proposed Surveys Coast-wide summer survey Fall southern California survey Either should be coordinated with a surface survey.

Hake Survey Survey example 2005 hake survey lines spaced by 10 nmi and extended from coastline to 50 m water depth. US portion accomplished with about two months of ship time at kts (15,000 nmi). Aerial coverage would require about 100 hours

Adaptive Sardine Survey

Budget Coast-wide survey - $400K, including $140K aircraft costs, $250K labor and overheads (based on day and night coverage equivalent to two months of ship survey) Southern California Survey - $115K, including $35K aircraft costs, $75K labor and overheads (based on day and night coverage of CalCOFI +) These are total costs.

Questions What is the best mix of ship and aircraft time to estimate sardine abundance and distribution? Do we need to oversample with both in order to answer the first question?

Research Vessel Cost 2008 average was $20,000 per day, or $1,200,000 for 60 days Does not include scientific personnel.

Research Vessel Cost R/V New Horizon is intermediate class at $20,000 per day, or $1,200,000 for 60 days Does not include scientific personnel.

Survey Salary GS-12, step 5, San Diego - $40 per hour 24% benefits + 88% overhead - $85 per hour 12 hour day – $1000 per day 2 scientists for 60 days - $120,000 Scientific staff of 12 for 60 days - $720,000