Stock evaluation of giant scallop ( Placopecten magellanicus) using high-resolution acoustics for seabed mapping

Survey designs in use for the evaluation of sea scallop stocks do not consider the variability of sediment type, despite strong evidence of its importance for the recruitment and survival of scallops on the sea floor. This study examines the distribution of scallops on Browns Bank, Scotian Shelf, at...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries research 2003-02, Vol.60 (2), p.479-492
Main Authors: Kostylev, Vladimir E, Courtney, Robert C, Robert, Ginette, Todd, Brian J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Benthos
Habitat
Mapping
Marine
Multibeam backscatter
Placopecten magellanicus
Scallops
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Summary:Survey designs in use for the evaluation of sea scallop stocks do not consider the variability of sediment type, despite strong evidence of its importance for the recruitment and survival of scallops on the sea floor. This study examines the distribution of scallops on Browns Bank, Scotian Shelf, at two test sites, in comparison to sea floor sediment distribution, with particular attention to the effects of small-scale sediment variability on the abundance of the commercially exploited scallop. Important links between scallop abundance, sediment type and habitat structure are described. Scallops are strongly associated with gravel lag deposits, which are readily distinguishable from sand-covered terrain through the use of multibeam backscatter data. There exists a highly significant correlation between scallop survey catch rates and backscatter intensity which can be used for the prediction of scallop stock abundance. Developments in underwater acoustics enable for more precise sea floor mapping and contribute to better estimates of scallop abundance.
ISSN:0165-7836
1872-6763
DOI:10.1016/S0165-7836(02)00100-5