1 research outputs found
Advancing fishery-independent stock assessments for the Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) with new monitoring techn
The Norway lobster, Nephrops norvegicus, supports a key European fishery.
Stock assessments for this species are mostly based on trawling and
UnderWater TeleVision (UWTV) surveys. However, N. norvegicus are
burrowing organisms and these survey methods are unable to sample or
observe individuals in their burrows. To account for this, UWTV surveys
generally assume that “1 burrow system = 1 animal”, due to the territorial
behavior of N. norvegicus. Nevertheless, this assumption still requires in-situ
validation. Here, we outline how to improve the accuracy of current stock
assessments for N. norvegicus with novel ecological monitoring technologies,
including: robotic fixed and mobile camera-platforms, telemetry,
environmental DNA (eDNA), and Artificial Intelligence (AI). First, we outline
the present status and threat for overexploitation in N. norvegicus stocks. Then,
we discuss how the burrowing behavior of N. norvegicus biases current stock
assessment methods. We propose that state-of-the-art stationary and mobile
robotic platforms endowed with innovative sensors and complemented with AI
tools could be used to count both animals and burrows systems in-situ, as well
as to provide key insights into burrowing behavior. Next, we illustrate how
multiparametric monitoring can be incorporated into assessments of
physiology and burrowing behavior. Finally, we develop a flowchart for the
appropriate treatment of multiparametric biological and environmental data
required to improve current stock assessment methods