A baited underwater video system for the determination of relative density of carnivorous reef fish

2000 ◽  
Vol 51 (8) ◽  
pp. 755 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor J. Willis ◽  
Russell C. Babcock

Estimates of the relative density of fishes form the basis of many marine ecological studies as well as the assessment of effects of fishing or pollution. Plasticity in the behavioural response of large reef fishes to SCUBA divers means that commonly used underwater visual census (UVC) techniques do not always provide reliable estimates of relative density. The paper describes the system configuration, deployment methods, testing and use of a remotely deployed baited underwater video (BUV) system for the survey of carnivorous reef fishes (snapper, Pagrus auratus and blue cod,Parapercis colias) in marine reserves of northern New Zealand. Concurrent UVC and BUV surveys inside and outside a marine reserve showed that, whereas UVC detected few snapper in either area (resulting in little confidence in statistically significant results), BUV demonstrated significant differences in relative density. Conversely, blue cod were found to occur at significantly higher densities within the reserve by UVC, but not by BUV. The provision of accurate estimates of fish size (<20 mm error) from video footage also illustrated differences in size structure between protected and fished populations. The data suggest that a combination of survey techniques is likely to be necessary where multispecies assemblages are being assessed.

2008 ◽  
Vol 59 (2) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matt Kleczkowski ◽  
Russ C. Babcock ◽  
Geordie Clapin

The effects of marine reserve protection on the density, size, biomass, sex-ratio and overall assemblage structure of reef fishes were investigated at Kingston Reef Sanctuary, Rottnest Island, Western Australia. Significant trends in response to reserve protection were found for two species of top predators and several serially protogynous labrid species. The relative density and biomass of the heavily targeted Glaucosoma hebraicum was 10 and five times greater within the sanctuary respectively. Similarly, the biomass of the serranid, Epinephelides armatus, was 3.2 times greater in the sanctuary, although this difference was owing to a greater mean length not relative density. The male : female sex ratio for the labrid, Ophthalmolepis lineolatus, was significantly different between sanctuary and non-sanctuary sites, with the density of male O. lineolatus significantly greater within the sanctuary. Rottnest Island waters are largely restricted to recreational fishing, therefore these results suggest that a range of fish species around Rottnest Island are affected by recreational fishing, and that these effects are found in taxa beyond the primary target species. The patterns in the effects on bycatch species suggest that fishing-related mortality may be exerting a greater control on these populations than that exerted by natural predation.


2011 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-303 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer E. Caselle ◽  
Scott L. Hamilton ◽  
Donna M. Schroeder ◽  
Milton S. Love ◽  
Julie D. Standish ◽  
...  

Geographic variation in ecological and environmental factors may lead to intraspecific differences among populations. For the California sheephead ( Semicossyphus pulcher ), an important predator in kelp forests and a target of commercial and recreational fisheries, we evaluated the degree to which different populations exhibited variation in density, demography, and life history traits. We assessed biogeographic patterns of abundance through underwater visual census at 39 sites spanning a major portion of the species range (southern California, USA, to Baja California, Mexico) and made collections from seven focal sites to investigate geographic differences in demography and life histories. California sheephead densities were significantly greater in the southern part of their range and at offshore islands than along the mainland coast. At the focal sites, we found significant spatial variation in density, fecundity, size structure, growth rates, annual survivorship, and the timing of maturation and sex change. Density- and temperature-dependent effects helped to explain the intraspecific differences in these parameters. Studies such as this one will allow for demographic plasticity to be incorporated into future stock assessments. Management of temperate reef fishes may best be achieved on smaller spatial scales as we increase our understanding of geographic variation among populations.


Author(s):  
Wenseslaus Fransiscus Makawaehe ◽  
Lefrand Manoppo ◽  
Revols D.Ch. Pamikiran

Minimnya pengetahuan tentang ekologi terumbu buatan merupakan inti masalah perdebatan penggunaannya dalam manajemen sumberdaya perikanan; dan membatasi aplikasi habitat buatan tersebut sebagai alat mitigasi pada berbagai kerusakan lingkungan. Pemahaman ekologi yang lebih baik akan menuntun pada pembuatan desain dan penggunaan struktur buatan secara lebih efektif dan efisien. Hal ini juga akan menjawab pertanyaan tentang manfaat konstruksi habitat buatan pada berbagai kondisi lingkungan. Asosiasi ikan di terumbu buatan bervariasi, namun perlu dilakukan perbandingan jenis ikan yang berasosiasi pada saat air pasang dan air surut. Oleh karena itu penelitian ini bertujuan untuk Membandingkan struktur asosiasi ikan di terumbu buatan pada saat air pasang naik dan pasang surut di perairan Teluk Tahuna. Penelitian ini dilakukan di perairan Teluk Tahuna, Kabupaten Kepulauan Sangihe pada bulan April–Juni 2015; yang didasarkan pada metode deskriptif. Asosiasi ikan di terumbu buatan diamati dengan teknik Underwater visual census (UVC) oleh dua orang SCUBA divers sebanyak 4 kali. Kelimpahan spesies ikan di terumbu buatan dianalisis dengan indeks keragaman dan indeks dominansi. Berdasarkan jumlah individu total ikan yang berasosiasi dengan terumbu buatan, maka nilai tertinggi terdapat pada bulan purnama saat pasang tertinggi (156 ekor), kemudian diikuti bulan kuartir pasang tertinggi (120 ekor), bulan purnama surut terendah (107 ekor) dan bulan kuartir surut terendah (103 ekor). Keanekaragaman spesies ikan, baik pada bulan kuartir maupun pada bulan purnama masih tergolong sedang dan dominansi spesies tergolong rendah


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zachary Gold ◽  
Joshua Sprague ◽  
David J. Kushner ◽  
Erick Zerecero ◽  
Paul H. Barber

AbstractMonitoring of marine protected areas (MPAs) is critical for marine ecosystem management, yet current protocols rely on SCUBA-based visual surveys that are costly and time consuming, limiting their scope and effectiveness. Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding is a promising alternative for marine ecosystem monitoring, but more direct comparisons to visual surveys are needed to understand the strengths and limitations of each approach. This study compares fish communities inside and outside the Scorpion State Marine Reserve off Santa Cruz Island, CA using eDNA metabarcoding and underwater visual census surveys. Results from eDNA captured 76% (19/25) of fish species and 95% (19/20) of fish genera observed during pairwise underwater visual census. Species missed by eDNA were due to the inability of MiFish 12S barcodes to differentiate species of rockfishes (Sebastes, n=4) or low site occupancy rates of crevice-dwelling Lythrypnus gobies. However, eDNA detected an additional 30 fish species not recorded in paired visual surveys, but previously reported from prior visual surveys, highlighting the sensitivity of eDNA. Significant variation in eDNA signatures by location (50m) and site (~1000m) demonstrates the sensitivity of eDNA to address key questions such as community composition inside and outside MPAs. Interestingly, eDNA results recorded higher species richness outside the MPA while visual surveys observed the opposite pattern. This result is likely caused by swamping effects of high fish abundance in MPAs that reduce detection probabilities of pelagic and intertidal taxa. Results demonstrate the utility of eDNA metabarcoding for monitoring marine ecosystems, providing an important complementary tool to visual methods.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 69
Author(s):  
Isa Nagib Edrus ◽  
Pratiwi Lestari

A field research on reef fish-community structures in Natuna waters was carried out in November 2015. This research aimed to obtain the trophic composition of reef fishes and its correlation to diversity, density, and biomass. Underwater visual census on several transect areas was used to collect data. Results show that the identified reef fishes were about 100 species of target-reef fish belonging to 18 families and 23 species of indicator-reef fish of the Chaetodontidae family. The mean species number of target reef fish and indicator reef fish were 42 and 7 species, respectively. The  mean density of the target reef fish and indicator reef fish were 0.4 and 0.05 individual per m2, respectively. The mean of the reef fish relative stock was 0.6 ton/ha. The composition of the herbivores mostly found in the resilient coral reefs r was 46.45 % and the omnivores and planktivores as marketable targeted fishes were 18.64 % and 14.28 %, respectively. The most predominant or major families were from herbivorous, carnivorous, planktivorous, and corallivorous fishes, including Scaridae (i.e. Scarus spp), Lutjanidae (i.e. Lutjanus spp.), Caesionidae (i,e. Caesio cuning and Pterocaesio caerulaurea), and Chaetodontidae (i.e. Chaetodon baronessa and Chaetodon octofasciatus). The results suggested that the community structures were quite prospectively implemented for fisheries; however, it may not be promising for coral resilience. Furthermore, the coral health status was at moderate level in regard to the high numbers of corallivorous butterflyfishes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 147
Author(s):  
Ana Faricha ◽  
Isa Nagib Edrus ◽  
Rizkie Satriya Utama ◽  
Ahmad R. Dzumalex ◽  
Abdullah Salatalohi ◽  
...  

Ikan terumbu karang memiliki peranan penting baik secara ekonomi maupun ekologi, namun kondisi terumbu karang termasuk di perairan Indonesia yang menjadi habitat utama ikan karang mengalami degradasi. Penelitian ikan karang sudah banyak dilakukan, namun di Indonesia kondisi habitat ikan karang memiliki karakter yang berbeda-beda. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengetahui hubungan antara komposisi ikan karang target dan tutupan karang hidup. Penelitian ini dilakukan pada bulan Oktober 2019 di Kepulauan Kei Kecil, Maluku. Metode yang digunakan adalah UVC (Underwater Visual Census) untuk data ikan karang dan UPT (Underwater Photo Transect) untuk mengkaji tutupan karang hidup. Hasil pengamatan menunjukkan bahwa terdapat 130 spesies ikan karang target yang mewakili 19 famili, dengan variasi jenis ikan target antar lokasi pengamatan berkisar antara 25-66 spesies. Kepadatan rata-rata ikan karang target sebesar 8.811 ± 4.107 Ind/ha, dan biomassa rata-rata 1.335 ± 899 Kg/ha. Komposisi ikan karang target yang memiliki kedekatan dengan tutupan karang hidup yaitu famili Siganidae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae, Holocentridae, dan Pomacentridae. Akan tetapi hubungan tersebut rendah, dan kemungkinan besar ada faktor lain yang mempengaruhi. Reef fishes have an important economic and ecological values. However, the coral reef of the globe including in the most of the Indonesian waters which is the vital habitat for reef fishes is degraded. Study on the reef fishes is an abundance, while the habitat characteristic of reef fishes in Indonesian waters has a differences. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between the target reef fishes compositions and the percentage live coral covers. This study was carried out in October 2019 at the Kei Kecil islands, Maluku. The method used in this study is UVC (Underwater Visual Census) for collecting the reef fishes data, and the UPT (Underwater Photo Transect) for assessing the live coral coverage. The result shows that there are about 130 fishes, which representing 19 families, with species variation ranges from 25 to 66 species among the observation sites. The average density of target fishes was about 8.811 ± 4.107 Ind/ha, whereas the average biomass of target fishes was 1,335 ± 899 Kg/ha. The target reef fishes compositions that has relation with live coral covers is family Siganidae, Serranidae, Lutjanidae, Holocentridae, and Pomacentridae. However, this relationship is weak, and may influenced by other factors.


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