Improved parameterization of the SDWBA for estimating krill target strength

Abstract

Recently, a Stochastic Distorted Wave Born Approximation (SDWBA) model was proposed to improve target strength (TS) estimates for Antarctic krill, Euphausia superba. The krill shape is modelled by a collection of cylinders, and total sound scatter is estimated by semi-coherent summation of scatter from each element. The SDWBA model was evaluated with a generic krill shape comprising 14 cylinders and a phase variability of sqrt(2) / 2 radians, and predictions were validated with empirical TS and total TS data at 120 kHz, and over a broad bandwidth, respectively. For general application, parameterization of the SDWBA model is improved to account explicitly for dependence among four of the model parameters: standard length of krill, number of cylinders used to describe its shape, amplitude of inter-element phase variability, and acoustic frequency. The model improvements are demonstrated, and the uncertainty in orientation distribution of krill beneath survey vessels and its ramifications on krill biomass estimates are highlighted. © 2006 International Council for the Exploration of the Sea.