Case Study: Oregon State University advances real-time squid detection in the mesopelagic zone with Echoview

Examining the fine scale biology of animals in the mesopelagic zone using an AUV

Oregon State University researcher Dr. Kelly Benoit-Bird needed a way to study how beaked whales and sperm whales hunt for squid in the deep mesopelagic and bathypelagic ocean, where observations are difficult and traditional ship-based sounders are limited. Echoview provided an acoustic analysis tool with live viewing capabilities to help process data from a deep-diving AUV and support near-real-time decision-making.

Echoview helped build a workflow that combined live viewing, scripting, and a custom monitoring utility to identify squid detections and send CSV outputs to the AUV’s navigation system in real time. The solution included a live export operator, COM methods to start and stop live viewing, and major stability and performance improvements, enabling the team to guide sampling at depths up to 1200 m and extend biological observation far beyond what ship-mounted systems could reach.

Oregon State University

Kelly Benoit-Bird

Professor