Abstract

Queen conch Lobatus (Strombus) gigas is one the most important fisheries species in the Caribbean with annual land-ings worth > US$30 million. Landings have declined in Puerto Rico since the 1980’s due to overfishing. Currently queen conch harvest is prohibited in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in Puerto Rico. Abundance estimates in Puerto Rico are conducted by scuba divers at intervals of 3 years, but limited availability of trained divers for conducting surveys has been an obstacle to complete coverage. Diver surveys are also limited by depth and time, whereas camera surveys are not, and provide a permanent photo record of observations. This project will determine if camera sled surveys can provide equiva-lent or better data in a more efficient manner than scuba surveys. If the camera sled is determined to be an equivalent or better system for resource surveys, it may lead to further applications or development, and improved data collection and analysis. Results of this project will improve the quality of information that can be used for management of queen conch in the Caribbean.

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