A fisheries acoustic multi-frequency indicator to inform on large scale spatial patterns of aquatic pelagic ecosystems

► Fisheries acoustics provide information on four major scattering groups: fish with and without swim bladder, fluid like zooplankton and gas bearing organisms such as larval fish and phytoplankton. ► A multi-frequency indicator describing the spatial distribution of scattering groups in pelagic ecosystems is derived from multi-frequency acoustic data. ► Application to the Bay of Biscay provides reference maps for spatial pelagic structures and ecosystem monitoring.