Abstract

As global fisheries experience intense pressure, there is a need to further modernize fisheries sampling methods that are non-extractive and non-destructive, yet comprehensive, cost effective, and accurate to optimize management. Biological data, such as length frequency estimates, improve fisheries stock assessments, however, many managed species are considered data-limited. Traditionally, collecting fish length data requires handling or harvesting the fish, which can impact local fish populations and require significant investments, which are often resource limited. Additionally, harvested fishes frequently represent a limited distribution of sizes and species due to harvest restrictions. To help fill this gap, non-traditional data sources, like citizen science programs, can supplement data collection through marine monitoring programs. Recreational divers are a particularly underutilized source of data, yet frequent the marine environment, providing a cost-effective data stream. For example, Reef Environmental Education Foundation’s (REEF) Volunteer Fish Survey Project utilizes trained citizen scientist recreational divers to assess fish populations on dives around the world. The collaborative SMILE (Size Matters: Innovative Lengths Estimates) project expands upon REEF’s long-term fish population dataset to supply length data sources into stock and ecosystem assessment processes using single laser-mounted cameras (“FishSenseLite”). In collaboration with South Atlantic Fisheries Management Council (SAFMC), University of California San Diego and Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA), and Axiom Data Science, SMILE equips recreational scuba divers or citizen scientists with a low-cost camera system to capture images of select target species of management priority through roving diver surveys.

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