At 15:12 17/04/97 -0400, you wrote:


... Problems I've experienced with my SCUBA-based surveys largely center on
>avoidance/approach behavior on the part of various fishes.  I'm considering
>the application of rebreather technology to cut down on diver noise and
>shiny bubbles--but there is also the problem of the personnel and
>time-intensive nature of the work. The use of ROV's or "drop" video cameras
>suspended from the boat may be effective for this purpose, but I'm guessing
>they problems too (I've not used either)...

Ken Baker,

Here are some bibliography discussing visual census techniques that might
help. Have you thought of using controlled ichtiocides? (Is it allowed to
use ictiocides in lakes?).

Bellwood, D. R. & A. C. Alcala (1988) The effect of a minimum lenght
specification on visual estimates of density nad biomass of coral reef
fishes. Coral Reefs 7: 23-27

Bohnsack J. A. & S. P. Bannerot (1986). A stationary visual technique for
quantitatively assessing community structure of coral reef fishes. U. S.
Departament of Commerce. NOAA Technical Report NMFS 41, iii+ 15p.

Bohnsack J. A.; D. E. Harper; D. B. McClellan; D. L. Sutherland & M. W.
White (1987) Resource survey of fishes within Looe Key National Marine
Sanctuary. U. S. Departament of Commerce. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS MEMD
5, 108p.

Bortone, S. A.; J. J. Kimmel & C. M. Bundrick (1989). A comparison of three
methods for visually assessing reef fish communities: time and area
compensated. Northeast Gulf. Sci. 10(2): 85-96

Brock, V. E. (1982) A critique of the visual census method for assessing
coral reef fish populations. Bull. Mar. Sci. 32 (1): 269-276.

Christensen, M. S. & R. Winterbottom. (1981) A correction factor for, and
its application to , visual censuses of littoral fish. S. Afr. Tydskr. Dierk
16(2): 73-79.

McCormick, M. I. & J. H. Choat (1987). Estimating total abundance of a large
temperate-reef fish using visual strip-transects. Mar. Biol. 96: 469-478.

Sale, P. F. & W. A. Douglas (1981). Precision and accuracy of visual census
technique for fish assemblages on coral patch reefs. Env. Biol. Fish.
693/4): 333-339.

Samollys, M. & G. Carlos (1992) Development of an underwater visual census
method for assessing shallow water reef fish stocks in the south west
Pacific. Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Project
PN 8545, unplublished final report, Cairns, Queensland, 100p.

Sanderson, S. L. & A. C. Solonsky (1986) Comparison of a rapid visual and a
strip transect technique for censusing reef fish assemblages. Bull. Mar.
Sci. 39(1): 119-129.

Thresher, R. E. & J. S. Gunn (1986) Comparative analysis of visual census
techniques for highly mobile, reef associated piscivores (Carangidae). Env.
Biol. Fish. 17(2): 93-116.



==================================
MSc Sylvia Niemeyer Pinheiro Lima
Dpt. of Botany - Phycology Lab.
Instituto de Biociencias
Universidade de Sao Paulo - Brazil
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