SPI-FISH: Benthic impacts of fishing trawls (KB-14-012-072)

 

Recent fieldwork studies have shown that it is difficult to assess the acute impact of trawl gear on benthic organisms. However trawl gear may impact the benthic system in other ways, changing the sediment environment and disrupting biogeochemical cycling. Here we explored the potential of using the SPI camera as a rapid assessment tool of benthic impacts. Whilst collecting data with SPI is a rapid process, the method has been limited by the time-consuming and subjective process of image analysis. The main objective achieved in this project was to develop a software for analysis of SPI images. The software is user-friendly and aims to make the process of image analysis less subjective than it has been in the past, adding considerable potential to the SPI method.

SPI images collected in the field showed clear effects of trawling on the sediment and also differences between tickler chains and pulse fishing methods. Final conclusions related to trawling impacts can be drawn once additional data (multibeam, sediment characteristics) becomes available (manuscript expected 2016).