1,27 



of those environmental characteristics affecting its operations. In particular, 

 a number of operational problems faced by the Navy are biological in origin ; 

 this fact strengthens the mutual interests of the Navy and Interior and further 

 enhances the value of a cooperative program. 



In the interest of development of commercial and sport fisheries by Interior, 

 research is directed primarily toward the acquisition of knowledge about fishery 

 resources. Commensurate with these interests is the requirement that fi.shery 

 scientists understand the ocean environment and the relationships that exist 

 between environmental fluctuations and the distribution and abundance of living 

 resources. 



It is agreed, therefore, that the Department of the (Navy and the Department of 

 the Interior will .ioin in a cooperative effort to study those aspects of the ocean 

 that are of mutual concern. 



Examination of active programs and interest suggests that the following areas 

 merit formal immediate cooperative development : Acoustic characteristics and 

 detection of marine organisms, environmental monitoring and prediction, and 

 satellite applications in ocean research (see Appendix). Additional areas for 

 possible future cooperation include, but are not limited to, an intensive water 

 column study, atlas preparation, radio ecology and deep submergence applications. 



Robert A. Feosch, 

 Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research and Development. 



October 30, 1967. 



Stanley A. Cain, 

 Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish and Wildlife and Parks. 

 October 31, 1967. 



O. D. Waters, 

 Oceanographer of the Navy. 

 October 31, 1967. 



Acoustic Characteristics and Detection of Marine Organisms 



introduction 



The U.S. Navy and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries are being hamp^ered 

 in the prosecution of the^ir mission's by a lack of knowledge concerning the fol- 

 lowing bioacoustic problems: Target identification, interference from biological 

 causes, system performance and requirements, and knowledge of the temporal 

 and sipatial distribution of biological sonar targets. Parallel approaches to these 

 problems are being made by both Navy and Fisheries personnel. 



By combining the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries' ability to capture and 

 identify fish and the ability of both the Navy and the Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries to detect them on sonar, a basis is provided for a better understanding 

 of the acoustic characteristics and detection of marine organisms. 



objective 



To define the acoustic characteristics of marine organisms and to develop de- 

 tection and classification techniques for biological sonar targets. 



APPROACH 



The U.S. Naval Oceanographic Office and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries 

 will conduct studies to determine the acoustic characteristics (i.e., target 

 strength and attenuation) of individual and schooled fishes. The Bureau of 

 Commercial Fisheries will locate, capture, and identify fishes suitable for these 

 studies. Subject to higher priority commitments, the Navy will provide sonar- 

 equipped vessels and, similarly, the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries will make 

 available its sonar-equipped vessels for joint cruises whenever possible. The U.S. 

 Naval Oceanographic Office, in conjunction with the Bureau of Commercial 

 Fisheries, will examine the suitability of available sonar systems for detecting, 

 classifying, and determining the abundance of marine organisms. 



Environmental Monitoring and Prediction 



introduction 



The routine collection of environmental data is necessaiy for a variety of 

 operational and research programs. These data are collected from a number of 

 different platforms, such as military, fishing and research vessels, buoys, and 



