Utilizing Hydroacoustic Method to Assess Small Pelagic Fish Distribution in Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia.

Cenderawasih Bay is one of the territorial waters of Indonesia with high fishery potential. In 2022, the Indonesian Goverment revealed that the bay's small pelagic fishery potential reached 135, 140 t, yet the utilization rate remains at only 0.3, indicating underutilization. This shows the necessity of estimating fish distribution in the bay to maximize the use of small pelagic fisheries resources. The hydroacoustic method, known for its extensive survey coverage and minimal environmental impact, can be employed to estimate the distribution of small pelagic fish. Therfore, this research aims to investigate the distribution of acoustic parameters of small pelagic fish using a split beam echosounder, specifically the SIMRAD EY-60, to obtain fish SV value and distribution data. SV (Scattering Volume) values were coverted to TS (Target Strength) values and projected onto a spatial distribution map. The distribution of fish exhibited a varied range of values, with the highest SV value ranging from -59.7 to -57.4 dB and the highest TS values ranging from -59.4 to -46.7 dB. Fish distribution was more concentrated in areas with warmer temperatures and dispersed evenly across different salinity ranges, with a higher concentration of fish detected in areas with elevated chlorophyll levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]