Consulting services in fisheries acoustics

Welcome to Aquacoustics

Our company was originally founded in 1996 by Don Degan. Following Don’s semi-retirement in 2019, Aquacoustics is now being led by Anna-Maria Mueller, who has been with the company for almost as long. Together we have been providing consulting services in the field of fisheries acoustics for over 20 years. Our services cover everything related to using sonar technology for the assessment of the abundance, distribution, habitat and behavior of fish.

When applied appropriately, sonar can be used to obtain informative reliable data in a cost-effective manner. It is a non-invasive method that can be used under conditions that are too dark or too turbid for video. Data can be collected at a fixed location to provide continuous coverage over time or from a mobile platform to cover large areas. Common applications are fish stock assessment, monitoring fish behavior at hydroelectric dams or other man-made structures, and mapping bathymetry and substrate type for habitat studies. On a couple of occasions, we have also been involved in projects not directly related to fisheries that benefited from the same techniques (e.g. mapping standing timber in reservoirs, bathymetry surveys for volumetric estimation).

Our services include

We serve clients from private industry, government agencies, native organizations and universities. Our clients are often fisheries biologists who are interested in using sonar technology but need training and technical support, or hydro operators who are required to monitor fish entrainment or prove the effectiveness of by-pass structures.