Aquatracker: A Complete Software Package for the Analysis and Visualization of Acoustic Telemetry Data

Acoustic telemetry has become an important tool in fisheries research.  Telemetry can be applied to study medium scale spatial behaviors, define habitat ranges and migratory routes, and estimate survival of anadromous species along their seaward migration.  However, acoustic arrays generate massive amounts of data.  The lack of software designed for data reduction, analysis and visualization of acoustic array data has hampered the dissemination of study results. We developed a program to quantify, analyze, and visualize the data generated by our steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) supplementation project in Puget Sound.  The program, AquaTracker, can plot a fish path and export track parameters to CSV files.  AquaTracker can plot a valid path around land-masses.  Calculated parameters include travel rate, distance, range, and tortuosity.  Data from mobile (e.g. towed) receivers can be analyzed.  Density plots, excursion analysis, fish grouping, auto-grouping receivers with overlapping radii, singleton filter and other tools are also provided.  Data generated by AquaTracker has been used to describe movements and quantify survival rates of steelhead and cutthroat trout (O. clarki) migrating in Hood Canal.  Recently, scientists within the Puget Sound Biotelemetry Workgroup, as well as dozens of scientist from outside the Pacific Northwest have begun using AquaTracker and are providing suggestions for its development.