A model to simulate underwater visual surveys of fish populations

Presenter: Miguel Pessanha Pais

Part of the Session on Fisheries

Models

Great talk. I like how the fish change their behavior with a diver nearby. I am not familiar with the application area so this might be a stupid question, but with more access to underwater cameras and drones is the future of underwater surveys still based on manual counting, or are automated analysis of videos become a common currency (which may have their biases too)?

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Thanks! Well, video transects are becoming more common as technology gets cheaper. And also remote video and baited remote video. But they have their own problems of course. One of them is that, unless species ID and counting is automatic, they increase the time required per sampling unit. They involve the recording time plus the time for counting, ID and video analysis. Also, video transects have the same problem with bias due to non-instantaneous sampling, because the transect is gradually scanned and not a snapshot. Snapshot methods have the problem of covering a very small area and thus being extremely variable. Another important problem with camera methods is that they miss small and cryptic fish hiding in crevices. Both types of approaches can benefit from simulation in my view.

Thank you for a great talk! I found also the latter part where you show the model very interesting, and I hope that I can do the same with this model next year when it is in a more finalized state. Also, a very nice interface to the Netlogo model, I will take inspiration here too!
Not into your research area really - but this came to mind! Its being used by colleagues in the Baltic.
http://www.autonautusv.com/
Best Emilie

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