Acoustic monitoring of fish activity around an artificial reef in South Sea, Korea

Abstract

Artificial reefs (ARs) provide a habitat for marine life in a coastal region. High resolution temporal profiles of volume backscattering strength (SV, dB re 1 m&#8210 1) from fish activity around an AR were collected from the coastal region of the South Sea, Korea, using a bottom-moored, sideward looking acoustic zooplankton fish profiler (AZFP). These data set was used to examine the impact of variations in tidal period, as well as diel variations, on the SV. The periods for which strong SV were observed correspond to the periods of low tide during daytime. Contrastingly, the SV continuously remained at a low level during nighttime. The activity of fish inhabiting the AR seems to be greatly influenced by both day-night differences, as well as the tide near AR’s bottom of the South Sea, Korea, using a bottom-moored, sideward looking acoustic zooplankton fish profiler (AZFP). These data set was used to examine the impact of variations in tidal period, as well as diel variations, on the SV. The periods for which strong SV were observed correspond to the periods of low tide during daytime. Contrastingly, the SV continuously remained at a low level during nighttime. The activity of fish inhabiting the AR seems to be greatly influenced by both day-night differences, as well as the tide near AR’s bottom