DISTRIBUTION AND DENSITY OF DEMERSAL FISHES IN YOUTEFA BAY, PAPUA, INDONESIA: A STUDY USING HYDROACOUSTIC TECHNOLOGY

Abstract

A study was conducted to estimate the distribution and density of demersal fish in Youtefa Bay, Papua, Indonesia, using hydroacoustic technology. The hydroacoustic survey was carried out using a single beam echosounder SIMRAD EK-15 which operates at a frequency of 200 kHz. The hydroacoustic data was processed using Echoview software with a threshold between -70.00 to -34.00 dB. Schooling fish were detected at a maximum distance of 3 m from the seabed, with average volume backscattering strength ranging between -60.13 and -42.01 dB. The demersal fish density in the Youtefa Bay ranged from 0.09 to 42.19 fish m-3 with an average density of 12.62 fish m-3. The schools of demersal fish were dominantly detected in the coastal waters of Enggros Village to Abe Pantai Village. The condition of substrate and water depth seems to influence the spatial and vertical distribution of demersal fish in the Youtefa Bay.