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Towards an Improved System for Sampling New England Groundfish Using Video Technology
Author(s) -
Stokesbury Kevin D. E.,
Cadrin Steven X.,
Calabrese Nick,
Keiley Emily,
Lowery Travis M.,
Rothschild Brian J.,
DeCelles Gregory R.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
fisheries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.725
H-Index - 79
eISSN - 1548-8446
pISSN - 0363-2415
DOI - 10.1080/03632415.2017.1342630
Subject(s) - groundfish , gadus , limanda , fishery , abundance (ecology) , sampling (signal processing) , transect , environmental science , flounder , oceanography , fish <actinopterygii> , geography , computer science , fisheries management , biology , geology , flatfish , fishing , filter (signal processing) , computer vision
There is considerable controversy regarding abundance estimates of New England groundfish. Federal surveys sample randomly but are restricted to short tow lengths and minimal area covered at high daily expense. Working collaboratively with fishermen, we developed a video system that can be deployed in a commercial trawl net to improve the information on the abundance and distribution of groundfish stocks (focusing on Atlantic Cod Gadus morhua and Yellowtail Flounder Limanda ferruginea ) by increasing the amount of sea floor sampled per sea day without killing more fish. Rather than being hauled to the surface for counting, fish are counted as they pass through the net. This results in continuous transect data that can be processed into sampling units, randomized, and used to estimate abundance. High‐intensity sampling of important habitats can complement existing multispecies random and stratified random survey designs to reduce uncertainty, presenting a clearer picture of the resource.