Seaforth was contracted by ROMOR Ocean Solutions, on behalf of Corbo Inc. to conduct a sidescan sonar survey in search of lost and abandoned goeat gear located east of Miscou Island, NB.
A survey area was provided by Homarus Inc. using information gathered from local fishermen on areas of known abandoned lobster gear. The survey area was also aligned with the boundary of two lobster fishing zones, which was a known historical conflict zone between fishermen. The primary focus for survey operations was to demonstrate SSS technology and its suitability for detecting lobster traps on the seafloor amongst varying seabed types.
A light-weight, ultra-high resolution Edgetech 4125 Sidescan Sonar was used for the survey.
Overall, the brief sidescan survey conducted was a successful demonstration of the capabilities of SSS to identify ghost gear. The ability to positively identify lobster traps on the seafloor is largely dependent on the seabed type, with sand or mud being the best for providing a strong contrast between seafloor and the traps, with minimal similar-sized objects such as boulders.