Major technical evolutions for the new release of SeapiX-F, iXblue 3D volume Sonar for fishery
La Ciotat, France – October 15, 2020 – iXblue has implemented major technical evolutions to its 3D volume Sonar for fishery, including new data processing, new graphical user interface and the use of a multi-head system. These new developments enhance SeapiX capabilities and confirms its technological lead for the benefit of sustainable fishing stakeholders.
Indeed, the ongoing exchanges and feedback with vessels over the years and the wealth of information developed by SeapiX in the water column has enabled the R&D teams to imagine new data processing and presentation in order to offer crews the ideal compromise between high resolution, volume of the ecosystem monitored and graphical presentation of the biomass.
Christophe Corbières, SeapiX Business Development Manager for SeapiX explains : “This work initiated in 2019, is a major step in the development of the SeapiX range in high value fisheries, where the quantitative and qualitative assessment of stocks and their management is fundamental to comply with regulations and improve vessel’s economic and operational efficiency”.
Enhanced data processing
With the new version, the computing power has been greatly increased, offering a water column sampling never reached before for professional fishing. Indeed, SeapiX now produces up to 8,000 definition points on its 512 beams (4 M of data), i.e. 50 times more data processed and displayed. Previously invisible on the fishing sonars, the aggregation modes of the shoals are now discriminated on the screen and the skipper can assess the “real” concentration/dispersion of individual fish in a shoal, which is also a new field of study for the scientific community.
A versatile and modular solution
Being already very versatile in its use for fishing and fishery research thanks to its vertical or lateral deployment, SeapiX offers the most efficient functionalities to the skipper in all circumstances, with pre-configured “Operation Modes” dedicated to each fishing activity (bottom and pelagic trawl, purse seine, tuna fishing…).
In addition, SeapiX becomes a system made up of “Transducer arrays” forming a set of 1 to 3 SAU transducers to meet the highest requirements of pelagic and demersal vessels, for example using a downward SAU for near-bottom trawling and a lateral SAU to assess near-surface biomass and optimize purse seine catches. Each SAU transducer covering a water volume of 120°x120°, a set of 2 to 3 SAU transducers offer an exhaustive analysis of the entire volume of water (at 7 cm radial resolution with calibrated TS split beam calculation) within a radius of 400m all around the vessel.
A new graphical user-interface
These functionalities are supported by the brand new user-friendly “SeapiX-CorteX” graphical interface ensuring a high level of automation. This new GUI offers total flexibility in view layouts and the production of detailed swath and echogram windows/screens with up to 8K definition points.
Its unique features and specifications on the market make SeapiX an essential tool for biomass discrimination and selectivity, allowing the estimation of each fishing situation and the development of real catch strategies. The optimization of the profitability of the vessels observed through the practice of targeted and rapid catches guarantees the adaptability of the vessels in a context of a constantly evolving fishing market.
