First Test Results from the New Norwegian Lidar for Monitoring of Marine Resources

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

Following promising lidar test flights in 2002, Institute of Marine Research (IMR), Bergen in cooperation with NTNU University, Trondheim started the process of designing and building a new lidar to be ready by summer 2004. It is based on the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) lidar used during the 2002 test flights. The paper presents the first results obtained during the mackerel (Scomber scombrus) survey in July 2004. This is an annual survey using two commercial vessels to map the distribution and density of mackerel in the Norwegian Sea during summer feeding using sonar and trawl. The lidar flights cover the same tracks as the vessels and the results are compared. An intercalibration routine between lidar and sonar was tested. The idea was to cover a school of fish observed on the vessel sonar by numerous lidar flights. Finally, the plans for mounting the lidar onboard R/V “G.O. Sars' is presented.