Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project
Encyclopedia
The Pacific Ocean Shelf Tracking Project (POST) is a field project of the Census of Marine Life
that researches the behavior of marine animals through the use of ocean telemetry
and data management systems. This system of telemetry consists of highly efficient lines of acoustic receivers that create sections of the continental shelf along the coast of the Pacific Northwest
. The acoustic receivers pick up signals from the tagged animals as they pass along the lines, allowing for the documentation of movement patterns. The receivers also allow for the estimation of parameters such as swimming speed and mortality.
The program started in 2002 and was initially limited to the study of the movement and ocean-survival of both hatchery-raised and wild salmon
in the Pacific Northwest
. After the successful pilot period, the program has now moved into the tracking of trout , sharks , rockfish, and lingcod.
Census of Marine Life
The Census of Marine Life was a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abundance of life in the oceans...
that researches the behavior of marine animals through the use of ocean telemetry
Telemetry
Telemetry is a technology that allows measurements to be made at a distance, usually via radio wave transmission and reception of the information. The word is derived from Greek roots: tele = remote, and metron = measure...
and data management systems. This system of telemetry consists of highly efficient lines of acoustic receivers that create sections of the continental shelf along the coast of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. The acoustic receivers pick up signals from the tagged animals as they pass along the lines, allowing for the documentation of movement patterns. The receivers also allow for the estimation of parameters such as swimming speed and mortality.
The program started in 2002 and was initially limited to the study of the movement and ocean-survival of both hatchery-raised and wild salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
. After the successful pilot period, the program has now moved into the tracking of trout , sharks , rockfish, and lingcod.