• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.16-25
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• 2015

Visual census and hydro-acoustic survey was carried out at Ulju small scale marine ranching area (MRA) to estimate demersal fish aggregations on September and November 2013. In this hydro-acoustic survey, the authors combined an image sonar with a scientific echo sounder to monitor an underwater situation and compare two acoustic data. Consequently, visual census survey was useful to estimate fish species composition for hydro-acoustic survey, because it is easy to identify aggregated fish species and overcome limits on a fishing depth and ability of an conventional fishing gear like a bottom gill-net or a fish trap at marine ranching area. Mean fish density was estimated as $0.757g/m^2$ on September and $0.219g/m^2$ on November and Fish abundance was finally calculated as 1.51ton (coefficient of variation, CV=13.1%) on September and 0.44ton (CV=47.7%) on November, respectively. Hydro-acoustic survey combined with the image sonar was useful to monitor fish aggregations and estimate fish stocks around artificial reefs at shallow coastal MRA. We were able to easily identify the underwater structures like an artificial reef and a fishing rope as well as fish aggregations from image sonar data. Therefore, the method was effective to separate unwanted echo signals in acoustic data of scientific echo sounder.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.44-56
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• 2022

Fish fauna was observed off the coast of Busan (Cheongsapo) and Ulsan (Bangeojin) using underwater visual census from November 2016 to October 2017. A total of 1,486 individuals of 25 species in Cheongsapo and 3,859 individuals of 31 species were identified in Bangeojin. Dominant species in the number of individuals were Trachurus japonicus (20.9%), Halichoeres tenuispinis (12.6%), and Chromis notata (11.9%) in Cheongsapo, Siganus fuscescens (42.0%), Pempheris japonica (8.4%), and Chromis notata (8.0%) in Bangeojin. There was no significant difference in the species composition of Cheongsapo and Bangeojin but spring vs. summer, spring vs. autumn, summer vs. winter, autumn vs. winter showed a significant difference. Contribution species of seasonal differences were commonly high rates by Halichoeres tenuispinis and Parajulis poecilepterus. Of the total 38 species, 17 (44.7%) temperate, 6 (15.8%) tropical, and 15 (39.5%) subtropical species observed coastal waters off Cheongsapo and Bangeojin.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.100-109
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• 2016

Species composition and distribution characteristics of fish were determined by monthly underwater visual census from September. 2013 to August, 2014 at Yeongunri off Tongyeong, Korea. The study area was divided into five habitat types by depth and substrate: (1) sand bottom as depth of 0~2 m, (2) seagrass bed of 2~5 m, (3) rocky outcrop of 0~2 m, (4) rocky bottom of 2~5 m, (5) sandy mud bottom of 5~8 m. A total of 1,673 individuals belonging to 43 species in 26 families were recorded during the study period. The number of species tended to decrease after October, 2013 and increase from March, 2014 showing the highest number in October (autumn), and lowest in January (winter). In terms of the number of species, Gobiidae was the most dominant family (7 species), followed by Scorpaenidae (4 species). Embiotocidae was the most abundant (26.1% in total number of individuals), followed by Scorpaenidae (19.9%) and Gobiidae (19.3%). The dominant species were Sebastes inermis (19.2%), Ditrema temminckii (13.1%), and Neoditrema ransonnetii (12.9%). The number of species and abundance were relatively high at the depth between 2 and 5 m on seagrass bed and rocky bottom, whereas they were lower at the depth between 0 and 2 m on the sand bottom, suggesting that seagrass beds and rocky bottoms provided the diverse habitats for various fish species in this sea.

• Korean Journal of Ichthyology
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2018

To observe species composition and seasonal variation of fish in the coastal area, monthly underwater visual census were conducted from October 2016 to September 2017 in Tongyeong, Korea. A total of 5,358 individuals belong to 45 species were observed during the study. Perciforme fish were the most dominant (29 species), followed by Scorpaeniformes (8 species), Tetraodontiformes (3 species). The most dominant species is Sebastes inermis (19.2%), and followed by Rudarius ercodes (18.5%). Thirty three species with the highest abundance were observed in October 2016 and only 4 species were observed in February 2017. Among three subtropical fishes, such as Chaetodontoplus septentrionalis, Labroides dimidiatus, and Ostracion cubicus, the latter 2 species were firstly observed in the southern coast of Korea. Compared with the previous studies using conventional tools such as beam trawl and seine net for fish collection, underwater visual census is much more efficient way to investigate fish diversity and assemblages in coastal waters.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.262-269
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• 2010

Seventeen fish species were counted in an underwater visual census, and the most common species, Sebastes inermis and Halichoeres poecilopterus, were released. More than 60% of the released S.inermis occurred near a fish farm 5 days after release, but they moved to a distant rocky area, and decreasing numbers were seen near the farm 90 days after release. In pots, a total of 722 individuals belonging to 43 species occurred, and released S.inermis dominated with 174 individuals recaptured during the study period. The other common fish species were Stephanolepis cirrhifer and Acanthopagrus schlegeli. The percentage of recapture was 0.23%, but declined to 0.12% at 90 days after release. The potential predators of released S.inermis included Lateolabrax japonicus and Sebastes schlegeli.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.139-147
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• 2010

This study monitored a variety of marine fish communities in artificial reefs unit of the total 5 types (Dice type, Octagonal turtle type, Two-stage tube type, Gazebo type, Tetrapod type) which are located in the marine ranching at Jeju island by scuba diving in May, July, October and December 2009. Underwater photographing was accomplished at total 3 phases (condition of artificial reefs photographing, concentric circle movement photographing and line transect photographing). The preservation condition of artificial reefs facility was very good, and the dominant species were Chromis notatus, Sebastes thompsoni, Oplegnathus fasciatus and Halichoeres poecilopterus. Fish abundance was high in May and June, and low in October and December, 2009. Chromis notatus was dominant at the all types of artificial reefs, Halichoeres poecilopterus for Gazebo type and Tetrapod type of artificial reefs, and Sebastes thompsoni for Dice type, Octagonal turtle type and Two-stage tube type of artificial reefs.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.549-558
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• 2022

The Indonesian Archipelago has a very complex geological history, along with equatorial warm sea temperature, resulting in diverse types of coral reefs and high diversity of coral reef fish. Many livelihoods of the coastal community are dependent on coral reef fisheries. The present study aimed to determine which region and location in the Indonesian Archipelago has the most diverse and abundant coral reef fish. The archipelago was divided into four regions: the Indian Ocean, Sunda Shelf, Wallacea, and the Pacific Ocean. Data were obtained from a national coral reef monitoring program of the Indonesian Research Center for Oceanography (RCO)-the National Board for Research and Innovation (BRIN). The reef fish data were collected using the underwater visual census method, from 321 belt transects on 24 locations (districts) across the archipelago. The results show that coral reef fish diversity of the Pacific region was the highest across the archipelago for all three trophic levels, i.e., corallivore, herbivore, and carnivore fish. The Pacific Ocean region also had the highest fish abundance for the three trophic levels. Comparison among locations revealed that the best ten locations in reef fish diversity and abundance were Sabang, Mentawai, Makassar, Selayar, Buton, Luwuk, Ternate, Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi. Wakatobi reefs showed their supremacy in carnivore fish diversity and abundance, while Biak reefs were the best in herbivore fish. The abundance of corallivore fish was also considerably high in Sabang reefs, but it is still lower than in Raja Ampat, Biak, and Wakatobi reefs. These results provide empirical evidence that the coral reefs of Wakatobi and Biak are the hottest hotspots of coral reef fish diversity and abundance in the Indonesian Archipelago.