The Simrad EK60 echosounder dataset from the Malaspina circumnavigation

Area of Science:

• Marine acoustics
• Oceanography
• Ecosystem monitoring

Background:

• The Malaspina 2010 Expedition was a Spanish circumnavigation voyage.
• Understanding marine ecosystems requires comprehensive data collection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide raw, calibrated acoustic data from the R/V Hesperides expedition.
• To make scientific echosounder data accessible for further research.

Main Methods:

• Data collected using a Simrad EK60 scientific echosounder at 38 and 120 kHz.
• Echosounder calibration performed at expedition start and parameters updated.
• Acoustic data logged via ER60 software, ensuring calibrated raw data.

Main Results:

• Raw acoustic data from seven legs of the expedition are presented.
• Calibrated data ensures accuracy and reliability for scientific analysis.
• A data summary of post-processed acoustic products is also provided.

Conclusions:

• The released dataset supports diverse marine research applications.
• Availability of calibrated acoustic data facilitates broader scientific inquiry.
• This data contributes to the long-term study of marine environments.