Development of New Methods for Quantifying Fish Density Using Underwater Stereo-video Tools

Summary

We describe a new method for counting fishes, and estimating relative abundance (MaxN) and fish density using rotating stereo-video camera systems. We also demonstrate how to use distance from camera (Z distance) to estimate species-specific detectability.

Abstract

The use of video camera systems in ecological studies of fish continues to gain traction as a viable, non-extractive method of measuring fish lengths and estimating fish abundance. We developed and implemented a rotating stereo-video camera tool that covers a full 360 degrees of sampling, which maximizes sampling effort compared to stationary camera tools. A variety of studies have detailed the ability of static, stereo-camera systems to obtain highly accurate and precise measurements of fish; the focus here was on the development of methodological approaches to quantify fish density using rotating camera systems. The first approach was to develop a modification of the metric MaxN, which typically is a conservative count of the minimum number of fish observed on a given camera survey. We redefine MaxN to be the maximum number of fish observed in any given rotation of the camera system. When precautions are taken to avoid double counting, this method for MaxN may more accurately reflect true abundance than that obtained from a fixed camera. Secondly, because stereo-video allows fish to be mapped in three-dimensional space, precise estimates of the distance-from-camera can be obtained for each fish. By using the 95% percentile of the observed distance from camera to establish species-specific areas surveyed, we account for differences in detectability among species while avoiding diluting density estimates by using the maximum distance a species was observed. Accounting for this range of detectability is critical to accurately estimate fish abundances. This methodology will facilitate the integration of rotating stereo-video tools in both applied science and management contexts.

Introduction

Along the U.S. Pacific Coast, many of the species important to commercial and recreational groundfish fisheries (e.g., the rockfish complex (Sebastes spp.) and Lingcod (Ophiodon elongatus)) are strongly associated with high-relief, hard-bottom habitats^1,2,3,4,5. Stereo-video drop cameras are an attractive non-extractive tool to use in rocky habitats due to the relative ease and simplicity of operation. A variety of stereo-video camera systems have been developed and deployed in so....

Protocol

NOTE: Screenshots of software steps are included as Supplementary Files. Please note that the software steps described below are specific to the chosen software (see the Table of Materials). The overall approach can be extended to any stereo software platform.

1. Prepare Stereo-camera Footage for Analysis

NOTE: Calibration using a calibration cube is recommended. A calibration cube is a three-dimensional aluminum-frame with precisely positioned reflective dots on the surface. When used in conjunction with calibration software, a calibration cube leads to greater precision and accur....

Results

Between 2013 and 2014, we conducted 816 surveys with the rotating stereo-video Lander (Figure 1) along the central California coast and collected MaxN and 95% Z distance (Figure 4) data on more than 20 species. There were clear patterns in the effective detectable range of species observed, likely due to the interaction of species' size, shape, and coloration (Figure 5). For instance, the Flag Rockfi.......

Discussion

The traditional MaxN metric is predicated on the idea of counting a guaranteed minimum number of individuals present during a survey. If a certain number of fish are simultaneously visible in a single video frame, there cannot be any fewer present, but because fish are mobile and heterogeneously distributed, the likelihood of seeing all individuals simultaneously during a single video frame is low. It is therefore likely that traditional MaxN underestimates true fish abundance^16,

Materials

List of materials used in this article

Name	Company	Catalog Number	Comments
calibration cube	SeaGIS	http://www.seagis.com.au/hardware.html	1000x1000x500 mm is the preferred dimensions. Other methods of calibration are available.
CAL calibration software	SeaGIS	http://www.seagis.com.au/bundle.html
EventMeasure stereo measurement software	SeaGIS	http://www.seagis.com.au/event.html
Statistical software	R Core Team 2017 (v. 3.4.0)		Bootstrapping code can be found: https://github.com/rfields2017/JoVE-Bootstrap-Function
Spreadsheet Software	Microsoft Excel
2  waterproof cameras	Deep Sea Power and Light		HD quality preferred
2 depth rated, waterproof lights	Deep Sea Power and Light : 3000 lumen LED with 5000k color temperature
DVR recorder	Stack LTD DVR
standard PC			Windows 10 preferred OS
rotating Lander platform	Marine Applied Research and Engineering (MARE)