Ocean Science systems

Kongsberg Maritime offers a range of systems for exploring the oceans. The systems are modular and provide a range of configurations to suit many different types of surveys.

Single beam systems

EK is the common name for all single beam echo sounders designed for research applications. The focus was to create a quantitative sounder that could measure biomass. Recently, the EK system has been used for a wider range of oceanographic applications, with the addition of ADCP functionality completing the picture. A new series of EKs has wideband capabilities. This implies transmitting a signal that varies across the transmission. The function is called chirp. The most common use is to apply a linear chirp.

ADCP

In addition to backscatter measurements, the EK80 now offers accurate current velocity measurements when combined with the EC150-3C transducer. The speed and direction of the currents throughout the water column are measured and presented as a function of the depth. This offers a valuable tool for understanding how organisms, nutrients, and other biological and chemical constituents are transported through the ocean.

Multibeam systems

Scientific Multibeam Systems are used to increase sampling volume with less ship time needed to achieve the survey goal.

A scientific multibeam echo sounder can be seen as many EK sounders spread out in a fan of beams. The ME70 adds to the picture with morphology and volume information, improved horizontal resolution and in general, it samples more cubic water along the survey line.
What makes the ME70 truly unique is that it combines the quantitative element from the split beam sounders with the resolution and the extended sampling volume from the multibeam world.

The MS70 provides an acoustic matrix of stabilized and calibrated beams for biomass estimation and study of school behavior. Advanced beamforming is used to form 500 beams, spread out 60° horizontally by 45° vertically. As a result of this optimized horizontal transmission of narrow beams, the MS70 allows the user to detect and characterize schools of fish even very close to the sea surface. 

Realtime visualization of 3D data

The Simrad TD50 enables live streaming of 3D data generated by scientific multibeam systems. The Simrad TD50 software reads the incredibly clean
raw data from the ME70 and MS70 in real-time and delivers accurate live visualization of the ocean space beneath the vessel to the science lab as well as any other location on board with network access. Previously this data had to be post-processed before the 3D potential of the system was realized.