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Evaluation of target strength–fish length equation choices for estimating estuarine fish biomass

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Abstract

In the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), fish biomass estimates are necessary for the evaluation of habitat use and function following the mandate for ecosystem-based fisheries management in the recently reauthorized Sustainable Fisheries Act of 2007. Acoustic surveys have emerged as a potential tool to estimate fish biomass in shallow-water estuaries, however, the transformation of acoustic data into an index of fish biomass is not straightforward. In this article, we examine the consequences of equation selection for target strength (TS) to fish length relationships on potential error generation in hydroacoustic fish biomass estimates. We applied structural equation models (SEMs) to evaluate how our choice of an acoustic TS–fish length equation affected our biomass estimates, and how error occurred and propagated during this process. To demonstrate the magnitude of the error when applied to field data, we used SEMs on normally distributed simulated data to better understand the sources of error involved with converting acoustic data to fish biomass. As such, we describe where, and to what magnitude, error propagates when estimating fish biomass. Estimates of fish lengths were affected by measurement errors of TS, and from inexact relationships between fish length and TS. Differences in parameter estimates resulted in significant differences in fish biomass estimates and led to the conclusion that in the absence of known TS–fish length relationships, Love’s (J Acoust Soc Am 46:746–752, 1969) lateral-aspect equation may be an acceptable substitute for an ecosystem-specific TS–fish length relationship. Based upon SEMs applied to simulated data, perhaps the most important, yet most variable, component is the mean volume backscattering strength, which significantly inflated biomass errors in approximately 10% of the cases.

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Acknowledgements

Funding for this project was provided by the Sport Fish Restoration Fund administered through the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. We would like to thank A.J. Fischer, B.T. Halloran, D.L. Nieland, and R.J.D. Wells for their contributions to this work and M.M. Sutor for review of an earlier version of this manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Kevin M. Boswell, James H. Cowan Jr. & Charles A. Wilson

  2. School of Renewable Natural Resources, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station, Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Michael D. Kaller

  3. Louisiana Sea Grant College Program, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803, USA

    Charles A. Wilson

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  1. Kevin M. Boswell
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  2. Michael D. Kaller
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  4. Charles A. Wilson
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Correspondence to Kevin M. Boswell.

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Boswell, K.M., Kaller, M.D., Cowan, J.H. et al. Evaluation of target strength–fish length equation choices for estimating estuarine fish biomass. Hydrobiologia 610, 113–123 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-008-9425-x

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