A Quantified Predictive Model of Marine Benthic Habitats for Demersal Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) Management in the Puget Sound Region

Sonar-derived interpretive potential marine benthic habitat maps of the San Juan Islands Archipelago, Washington, and videos obtained using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and drop cameras were used in a GIS to develop a series of metrics to predict potential adult and juvenile rockfish habitats. Known habitats of our studied rockfish—yelloweye (Sebastes ruberrimus), canary (S. pinniger), and bocaccio (S. paucispinis)—were compared with potential habitats derived from intuitive habitat mapping codes based on geology. GIS attributes such as slope, complexity (rugosity), and aspect can be used to predict potential habitat where multibeam echosounder bathymetric data exist. We found good correlation with observed rockfish counts in geologically and bathymetrically complex zones. Considering the assumed short roaming behaviors of the studied species, their juvenile habitats, and proximity to potential foraging areas, we extended and buffered the mapped complex habitats in the San Juan Islands region and incorporated this buffered extent in our predictive model. Such a model should be beneficial to targeting, managing, and protecting important demersal fishes’ habitats.