Acoustic Telemetry Efforts and The Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network:

1. Acoustic Telemetry Efforts and The Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network: Matthew Breece Delaware State University University of Delaware

2. Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network • Loose network of researchers • East coast - Florida – Maine • Organic/ground-up approach • Means to connect researchers and facilitate data exchange • Houses a list of acoustic transmitter codes and associated researchers • Members upload “orphan codes” • Owners of orphan codes can then contact researchers that detected their codes to share data

3. Atlantic Cooperative Telemetry Network • Developed with sturgeon as a model • Once finalized opened up for other species • Members surveyed to determine existing assets • 97% of researchers are using VEMCO equipment • ACT currently funded through June 2014 • NOAA NMFS Office of Protected resources

4. Deployed Transmitters

5. Receiver Arrays

6. Receiver Arrays

7. Lessons Learned • Majority of acoustic arrays are located in rivers, estuaries and nearshore coastal environments • Strategic placement of assets needed • Receivers • Listening platforms • Tags • Tagged fish have effects outside projects scope of work • Striped bass on Atlantic sturgeon spawning grounds

8. Concerns • Arrays are maintained on a project specifics basis • Lack of stable funding to support existing assets • Continued deployment • Maintenance/downloading • Duplicated tag codes do exist and are difficult to identify • LOTEK transmitter in Atlantic sturgeon duplicated VEMCO transmitter in a striped bass

9. Point of Contact Lori Brown Delaware State University East.coast.telemetry@gmail.com