Validating Side Scan Sonar As a Fish Survey Tool over Artificial Reefs in the Gulf of Mexico

Artificial reef placements are becoming an important part of fisheries management strategies worldwide due to the loss of natural reefs, and in the Western Gulf of Mexico due to the scarcity of hard structures and vertical relief near shore, which are essential habitat for reef fish. Current visual survey techniques can be crippled by low visibility and unpredictable currents in the Gulf of Mexico, but hydroacoustics can provide a solution to these problems. This study focuses on using ground-truthed side scan sonar technology to determine fish community biomass. Through fish abundance surveys and in situ fish sampling, we developed a fish survey protocol using side scan sonar to quantify fish assemblages over artificial reefs. The effectiveness of this technology for management purposes was also demonstrated by comparing it with visual census methods.