Acoustic Telemetry

What is it?

Acoustic telemetry, simply, is the use of sound to track aquatic animals through water!

Graphic representation of how acoustic telemetry works. An acoustic receiver will detect a signal from an acoustic transmitter implanted inside the walleye.

Graphic representation of how acoustic telemetry works. An acoustic receiver will detect a signal from an acoustic transmitter implanted inside the walleye.

Acoustic Transmitters

Acoustic transmitters are small tags we surgically implant into the belly cavity of the walleye. Every 60-120 seconds, there’s a signal we call a “ping” that is transmitted out into the water column, and if it’s passing by a receiver, will be logged and used later to track the path of the fish. These transmitters will last for a total of two years.

Pretty cool, right?

This is what the acoustic transmitters look like.

This is what the acoustic transmitters look like.

How we achieve this

To achieve this, we use acoustic receivers for long term, continuous tracking of aquatic animals! Since the receivers are always on, they are constantly recording temperature and signals from acoustic transmitters that are implanted within the walleye.

This is an acoustic receiver.

This is an acoustic receiver.

How will I know if I’ve caught a fish part of this study?

Wonderful question! All walleye that are tagged will have an orange loop tag between its first and second dorsal fin (see below)! This tag will have a phone number and loop tag number on it, so when you call it in, we can quickly identify the walleye!

Walleye photo credits to the Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit (WCFRU)

Walleye photo credits to the Wisconsin Cooperative Fishery Research Unit (WCFRU)