Overview of the Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network

The Atlantic Deepwater Ecosystem Observatory Network (ADEON) along the US Mid- and South Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) collected multiple years of measurements that describe the ecology and soundscape of the OCS. Ocean processes, marine life dynamics, and human use of the ocean are each three dimensional and time dependent, and occur at many spatial and temporal scales. Because no single measurement system (in situ or remote) is sufficient for describing dynamic ocean variables, the approach taken by ADEON was to integrate ocean measurements and models. Acoustic information was combined with contextual data from space-based remote sensing, hydrographic sensors, and mobile platforms in order to fully comprehend how human, biologic, and natural abiotic components create the OCS soundscape and influence its ecosystem dynamics. Standardized methodologies were developed for comparing soundscapes across regions and for generating predictive models of the soundscape and overall ecology of the OCS at 200–900 m water depths. These data provide a baseline for pattern and trend analyses of ambient sound and the ecosystem components of the OCS soundscapes. They contribute to understanding of regional processes over multi-year time­scales and support ecosystem-based management of marine resources in an acoustically under-sampled ocean region.