FORWARD LOOKING SONAR FOR COLLISION AVOIDANCE

THE PROBLEM IS THAT MARINE MAMMALS ARE GETTING KILLED AT AN ALARMING RATE. RECENT EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT HALF OF ALL (NONCALF) RIGHT WHALE DEATHS ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST RESULT FROM HUMAN ACTIVITIES (KRAUS 1990). COLLISIONS WITH COMMERCIAL VESSELS MAY BE A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE LACK OF RECOVERY OF THIS SEVERELY ENDANGERED SPECIES. A NEED EXISTS FOR DEVELOPMENT OF A DEVICE, SUCH AS A FORWARD LOOKING SONAR DETECTOR, TO DETECT THESE AND OTHER WHALES BEFORE A COLLISION TAKES PLACE. THIS DEVICE MUST OPERATE DAY AND NIGHT AND IN ANY WEATHER. A TRUE FORWARD LOOKING SONAR HAS NOT BEEN DEVELOPED BECAUSE NO COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE SONAR RANGE. THE KEY TO INCREASED RANGE IS AND HAS BEEN TO DEVELOP THE PROCESS TO REDUCE THE OUTPUT BEAM ANGLE TO THE 1 DEGREE RANGE. THIS HIGHLY DIRECTED BEAM DOES NOT ILLUMINATE OR RECEIVE BOTTOM RETURNS WHICH THEN SEVERELY REDUCES CLUTTER AND RETURN SIGNAL BACKGROUND NOISE TO CLEARLY SELECT THE PREFERRED TARGET. THIS CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED AT LOW COST, MINOR SIZE IMPACT, AND IN LINE ON EXISTING SYSTEMS. THIS PROCESS HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED ON PREVIOUS MANATEE RESEARCH. TIMELY AVAILABILITY OF THIS SYSTEM WILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON MARITIME SAFETY.