Underwater Profilers are electronic devices used for tracking fish and other aquatic life under water. They are commonly fitted to boats and other vessels used for fishing. The underwater cameras are operated by a computer or a microprocessor that makes the images available to the person on the boat via a radio signal. Underwater Profilers come in two categories; those that are fixed and those that are mobile. Both the types have built in suction cups that hold the camera firmly in place in the water.
Fixed Underwater Profilers can be viewed from above, below and at a distance of over 100 feet. This enables divers to observe the behavior of fish at great depths. These cameras are widely used for surveillance and research purposes. The fixed underwater profiler is also widely used for monitoring vessels at sea and land-based oil rigs. For this purpose, there are models designed specifically for marine environments.
Advantages of Underwater Profilers
A major advantage of using Underwater Profilers is their low-water consumption. This helps reduce operating costs and increase operational productivity. The second advantage is that underwater profiles provide information on fish behavior at various depths, which is important for a number of species such as sharks and turtles. For this reason, the system is widely used in marine and wildlife research. The third major advantage is that the underwater profile system is capable of providing accurate information on the volume of the external bladder.
Characteristics of Underwater Profilers
The characteristics of Underwater Profilers that make them useful for tracking fish, crustaceans and other aquatic life is their ability to provide high-quality images with high resolution from very close distances. This characteristic allows the underwater profile to record data from anywhere from one to nine feet below the water surface. This characteristic also makes Underwater Profilers more convenient to use than fixed cameras. Another important characteristic is that they provide accurate results even if the background conditions are poor or cloudy. This quality makes underwater profilers suitable for use in any environment from vessels to cruise ships.
One of the most desirable features that an Underwater Profiler should have is its capability of providing continuous data collection without requiring the user to manually trigger images during the motion of the water column. Continuous acquisition of high quality images with no need to interrupt work is a desirable characteristic for underwater profile. Another desirable feature is that the underwater profile should provide an easy and reliable procedure of recording images either by use of a touch-screen interface or a dedicated video camera. A third desirable feature is that the system should allow trial-and-error control strategy.
Underwater Profilers provide a variety of benefits for a wide range of applications in the marine environment. Their reliability, flexibility and maintenance support to allow these systems to provide fast and consistent results, while minimizing operator fatigue and costs. The key performance indicators also ensure optimum utilization of resources. They are ideal for use in on-board or off-shore oil platforms, undersea and open water research, disaster response, environmental monitoring and crime investigation.
