Assessing the use of a camera system within an autonomous underwater vehicle for monitoring the distribution and density of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight
Date
2016-04-26
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
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Publisher
National Marine Fisheries Service.
Abstract
The sea scallop (Placopecten
magellanicus) fishery in the
Atlantic is assessed during annual
surveys by using both dredging
and surface-deployed imaging techniques.
In this pilot study in the
Mid-Atlantic Bight, we used an autonomous
underwater vehicle (AUV)
to photograph the seafloor and to
evaluate its use for determining
scallop density and size. During 22
surveys in 2011, 257 km of seafloor
were photographed, resulting in over
203,000 color images. Using trained
annotators and photogrammetric
software, we determined scallop
density and shell heights for 15,252
scallops. The inshore scallop grounds
near Long Island (at depths <40 m)
had a density of 0.077 scallops per
m2, whereas the inshore grounds
of the New York Bight had a density
of 0.012 scallops per m2. Shell
heights derived from images were
found to agree well with measurements
from scallops collected with
a commercial dredge. We show that
images obtained with an AUV can be
used to reliably estimate both density
and shell height consistent with
direct sampling from the same area.
Moreover, side-scan sonar images
obtained with an AUV can be used
to detect dredge scars and, therefore,
can provide a simultaneous,
relative estimate of fishing effort in
that area. AUVs provide a highly accurate
suite of data for each survey
site and therefore allow the design
of experimental studies of fishing
practices.
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Citation
Walker, Justin H., Arthur C. Trembanis, and Douglas C. Miller. "Assessing the use of a camera system within an autonomous underwater vehicle for monitoring the distribution and density of sea scallops (Placopecten magellanicus) in the Mid-Atlantic Bight." Fishery Bulletin 114.3 (2016): 261-274.