Autonomous platforms for measuring broadband backscatter

The use of broadband sonars in acoustical oceanographic studies in a broad range of environments, particularly for ecological studies, has rapidly overtaken the use of traditional narrowband sonar systems. Almost as importantly, and often under-recognized, is the diversity of platforms that have been used to support these measurements. Here we focus on the integration of an echosounder system into REMUS underwater vehicles. Based on our experiences deploying REMUS 100 and REMUS 600 vehicles in the Connecticut River, Mobile Bay, and New England shelfbreak, we discuss the benefits of using broadband echosounders on vehicles. Of particular interest is the ability of vehicles to perform near-surface sampling, achieve closer proximity to targets of interest, and the reduced impacts of vessel-based noise sources.