Texas Acoustic Array Network (TEXAAN)

Principal Investigator

Research

Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation

The project will examine estuarine sportfish movement patterns and habitat use using state-of-the-art acoustic tracking techniques.

About this Project

Many economically and ecologically important sportfish have complex behaviors involving movements over large distances. This characteristic makes management of these species problematic due to the broad range of habitats they use and the challenges associated with monitoring these very mobile populations. Acoustic telemetry provides researchers critical access to observing these movements by fitting animals with coded acoustic transmitters (“pingers”) and tracking them with an array of acoustic receivers (“listening stations”). The Center for Sportfish Science and Conservation (CSSC) has used this technology to track the movements of sharks, spotted seatrout, red drum, and red snapper in Texas’ offshore and nearshore waters.

Research Objectives

The overall goal of the CSSC is to maintain the Texas acoustic array network and provide researchers access to tracking movement of marine life along the entire coast including various tidal inlets connecting coastal and estuarine habitats. The CSSC encourages collaboration from other institutions to help expand the scale and scope of its acoustic tagging initiative.