SEAmPhonia: a 3D acoustic field approach to marine ecosystem modelling

An innovative experimental approach to study the underwater acoustic field has been designed and tested within an Italian national project named SEAmPhonia. The proposed approach is based on the installation and synchronization of multiple hydrophones. Different settings of the instrumentation, synchronization protocols, and data analysis have been tested. The results suggest modifying usual observational strategies and characteristics of the instrumentation. We provide recommendations for the design and implementation of experimental set-ups and data analysis aiming to identify indicators for changes of the processes acting in the marine environment. We are still in a preliminary phase of the analysis, and hence the following paper mainly focuses on the discussion of the innovation introduced by the theoretical and experimental approach, observed limitations, and consequent expected results. Building on this knowledge, we also provide preliminary results from a line of activity of the project devoted to the design and the implementation of a novel sensor prototype based on fiber optics.