Abstract

Queen conch Lobatus (Strombus) gigas is one the most important fisheries species in the Caribbean with annual landings 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. Preliminary results of a study in Puerto Rico showed that surveys conducted with a digital camera sled produced higher estimates of density (#/ha) than diver survey methods, and that measurements obtained using paired lasers were both more accurate and smaller from diver estimates. These results may lead to further applications or development of sled survey techniques, and improved data collection and analysis. Our research could improve the quality of information that can be used for management of queen conch in the Caribbean.

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