Bottom-moored acoustic array to monitor density and vertical movement of deep-sea benthopelagic animals

A bottom-moored vehicle, employing a 36-kHz acoustic array, is described. Its purpose is to census benthopelagic populations at abyssal depths and detect vertical movement of these animals. It is argued that an acoustic census offers particular advantages over traditional sampling methods, and when used in conjunction with these methods, offers powerful insight into abyssal community dynamics.