Maximizing Marine Data Collection with TR-ORCA

The ocean is rich with acoustic activity: whale songs, marine life communication, vessel traffic, and shifting underwater landscapes all contribute to a complex soundscape. For researchers, these sounds offer critical insights into the health and behavior of marine environments. Capturing them clearly and at scale requires specialized tools. TR-ORCA answers that need. This Turbulent Research’s multi-channel passive acoustic monitoring system is designed for high-resolution, reliable underwater listening. 

Marine Data Collection with TR-ORCA

Why Multi-Channel Monitoring Matters

Traditional single-hydrophone systems can only “listen” to one location at a time. But sound in the ocean is a 3D experience. It travels across distances, reflects off surfaces, and mixes with other signals. To understand what’s happening and where it helps to monitor sound from multiple angles at once.

That’s where TR-ORCA stands out. TR-ORCA supports up to eight synchronized hydrophones in a single system. This allows researchers to:

  • Capture sound across spatial dimensions
  • Pinpoint the direction of sound sources
  • Measure acoustic energy from different depths or distances
  • Detect overlapping signals more clearly

Whether you're studying marine mammals, ship noise, or offshore infrastructure impacts, this kind of spatial resolution changes what’s possible.

Built for Flexibility and Performance

TR-ORCA is a customizable, rugged platform engineered for real-world conditions.

Key features include:

  • Modular channel configuration (2 to 8 hydrophones)
  • Wide dynamic range recording: from faint whale clicks to powerful airgun pulses
  • Precision timing for post-processing and localization
  • External sensor integration (e.g., CTDs, GPS, current meters)
  • Robust data storage for long-term autonomous deployments

All of this is packed into a low-power system that’s easy to deploy and recover, even in harsh offshore environments.

Multi-Channel Mammal Monitoring

In a coastal study focused on marine mammal activity within a busy shipping corridor, researchers used a vertical array of hydrophones to monitor acoustic patterns. This multi-channel setup made it possible to distinguish vessel noise from whale vocalizations, estimate the depth of diving behavior, and analyze how marine life responded to passing ships. Insights like these are difficult, if not impossible, to obtain using single-channel acoustic monitoring alone.

Smarter Monitoring = Better Decisions

As marine activity continues to expand across various industries, the need for responsible monitoring is more important than ever. TR-ORCA helps regulators, researchers, and industry teams gain a clear, comprehensive understanding of underwater soundscapes. 

Understanding how noise travels through the water and how it affects marine life helps support smarter policy, better mitigation, and sustainable ocean use.

Need better acoustic data? Let’s talk about how TR-ORCA can support your next marine research or monitoring project.
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