Study on the spatial distribution and aggregation characteristics of fisheries resources in the East Sea, West Sea and South Sea of the South Korea in spring and autumn using a hydroacoustic method

음향을 이용한 춘계와 추계에 우리나라 동서남해의 수산자원의 공간적인 분포 및 군집특성 조사

Acoustic surveys were conducted in the seas surround the South Korea (South Sea A, South Sea B (waters around the Jeju Island), West Sea and East Sea) in spring and autumn in 2016. First, the vertical and horizontal distributions of fisheries resources animals were examined. In most cases vertical acoustic biomass was high in surface water and mid-water layers other than South Sea A in autumn and West Sea. The highest vertical acoustic biomass showed at the depth of 70-80 m in the South Sea A in spring ($274.4m^2/nmi^2$) and the lowest one was 10-20 m in the West Sea in autumn ($0.4m^2/nmi^2$). With regard to the horizontal distributions of fisheries resources animals, in the South Sea A, the acoustic biomass was high in eastern and central part of the South Sea and the northeast of Jeju Island ($505.4-4099.1m^2/nmi^2$) in spring while it was high in eastern South Sea and the coastal water of Yeosu in autumn ($1046.9-2958.3m^2/nmi^2$). In the South Sea B, the acoustic biomass was occurred high in the southern and western seas of Jeju Island in spring ($201.0-1444.9m^2/nmi^2$) and in the southern of Jeju Island in autumn ($203.7-1440.9m^2/nmi^2$). On the other hand, the West Sea showed very low acoustic biomass in spring (average NASC of $1.1m^2/nmi^2$), yet high acoustic biomass in the vicinity of 37 N in autumn ($562.6-3764.2m^2/nmi^2$). The East Sea had high acoustic biomass in the coastal seas of Busan, Ulsan and Pohang in spring ($258.7{\sim}976.4m^2/nmi^2$) and of Goseong, Gangneung, Donghae, Pohang and Busan in autumn ($267.3-1196.3m^2/nmi^2$). During survey periods, fish schools were observed only in the South Sea A and the East Sea in spring and the West Sea in autumn. Fish schools in the South Sea A in spring were small size ($333.2{\pm}763.2m^2$) but had a strong $S_V$ ($-49.5{\pm}5.3dB$). In the East Sea, fish schools in spring had low $S_V$ ($-60.5{\pm}14.5dB$) yet had large sizes ($537.9{\pm}1111.5m^2$) and were distributed in the deep water depth ($83.5{\pm}33.5m$). Fish schools in the West Sea in autumn had strong $S_V$ ($-49.6{\pm}7.4dB$) and large sizes ($507.1{\pm}941.8m^2$). It was the first time for three seas surrounded South Korea to be conducted by acoustic surveys to understand the distribution and aggregation characteristics of fisheries resources animals. The results of this study would be beneficially used for planning a future survey combined acoustic method and mid-water trawling, particularly deciding a survey location, a time period, and a targeting water depth.