Pelagic Fish Abundance in North Temperate Lakes from Acoustic Surveys

Late summer acoustic survey data on pelagic fish abundance and size distribution across five Wisconsin lakes. The dataset is produced by the North Temperate Lakes Long-Term Ecological Research site, affiliated with the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Data collection involves running transects on two nights and two days per lake using a Simrad 70 kHz echosounder.

Use Cases

• Modeling fish density by depth and size class using acoustic backscatter data from discrete lake depths.
• Analyzing diel patterns in pelagic fish abundance by comparing data from day and night transects.
• Studying spatial distribution of fish across five distinct lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, Trout) with varying characteristics.
• Investigating long-term trends in fish populations by integrating this survey data with other LTER time-series records.

Strengths

• Data collected from five distinct lakes, providing comparative ecological context.
• Surveys conducted on both day and night transects, capturing diel behavioral patterns.
• Analysis uses the HADAS package for standardized derivation of fish densities by size.

Limitations

• Specific temporal coverage (start/end years) and total row count are not provided.
• Geographic scope is limited to five lakes within a single 10,000 sq. km. district in Wisconsin.
• Data collection frequency is limited to late summer periods, missing seasonal dynamics.

Provenance

Source

North Temperate Lakes (NTL) Long-Term Ecological Research site, Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Collection Method

Acoustic surveys using a Simrad 70 kHz echosounder, with signals recorded on audio tape and paper charts, analyzed using the HADAS software package.

Time Range

Late summer surveys (specific years unknown).

Geography

Five lakes (Allequash, Big Muskellunge, Crystal, Sparkling, Trout) in the Northern Highland Lakes District of Wisconsin, USA.