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Development of New Methods for Quantifying Fish Density Using Underwater Stereo-video Tools
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Quantifying relative diver effects in underwater visual censuses.

Luke C Dickens1, Christopher H R Goatley, Jennifer K Tanner

  • 1Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.

Plos One
|May 3, 2011
PubMed
Summary

The diver effect significantly reduces coral reef fish counts during underwater visual censuses (UVCs), decreasing abundance by over 50%. Employing methods like fixed transects can minimize this bias for more accurate ecological data.

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Area of Science:

  • Marine Biology
  • Ecology
  • Fisheries Science

Background:

  • Diver-based Underwater Visual Censuses (UVCs) are crucial for coral reef fish ecology studies.
  • Accurate numerical data collection in UVCs is challenged by the diver effect, the behavioral response of fish to divers.
  • The magnitude of the diver effect and its taxonomic variation remain largely unquantified.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To quantify the relative diver effect on a Great Barrier Reef fish assemblage.
  • To determine the impact of diver presence on recorded fish abundance across different taxonomic groups.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized standard Underwater Visual Census (UVC) techniques on the Great Barrier Reef.
  • Recorded the abundance of seven distinct reef fish groups under SCUBA diver presence.
  • Analyzed the changes in fish abundance attributable to the diver effect.

Main Results:

  • The presence of SCUBA divers significantly impacted the recorded abundance of all seven reef fish groups studied.
  • Overall, the diver effect led to a 52% reduction in the mean number of individuals observed.
  • Specific fish families experienced declines of up to 70% due to diver presence.

Conclusions:

  • The diver effect is a significant source of bias in UVCs, potentially underestimating fish populations.
  • UVCs remain valuable for assessing relative spatial and temporal variations in fish abundance.
  • Methods minimizing fish exposure to divers, such as fixed distance transects, are recommended to improve data accuracy.