Mapping abundance distribution of small pelagic species applying hydroacoustics and Co-Kriging techniques

Hydroacoustic technology provides ground tools for the estimation of abundance and spatial distribution of pelagic species. The final products of such surveys, the interpolated choropleth maps, are based on a Geostatistical analysis of the acoustic measurements to minimise, as much as possible, the interpolation error, and to quantify uncertainty. The current study is based on fisheries acoustic measurements and satellite images covering the sea area of Thermaikos Gulf over the years 1996, 1997 and 1998. Spatial interpolations describing the abundance and distribution of small pelagic species in the research area, as well as sea surface temperature (SST), Chlorophyll-a content (SSC) and average depth, were produced, based on Ordinary and Universal Kriging and Co-Kriging Geostatistical methods. The results of the Geostatistical analysis showed that the Co-Kriging spatial interpolation method produced the best results regarding fish abundance when SST and average depth variables were included in the model. The latter indicates that there is an existing spatial cross-correlation between fish abundance and the environmental variables. Consequently, the potential reduction of the overall error in the estimation process, as presented in this study, is very significant, particularly with regard to error reduction in stock assessment and management. Guest editor: V. D. Valavanis Essential Fish Habitat Mapping in the Mediterranean