Fish density and target strength distribution of single fish echoes in varying light conditions with single and split beam echosounding and trawling

Abstract

To evaluate the consistency of mobile and vertical echosounding results from the 1980s to the 2000s, fish density (fish ha−1) and target strength (TS, dB) estimates of single (70 and 200 kHz) and split (38 and 120 kHz) beam echo sounders were compared under varying light conditions. Acoustic estimates were compared with trawling results. During daytime hauls, the catch per swept area (CSA) of vendace and smelt were high at 10–15 m depth and low at 15–30 m depth. Around sunset, vendace and to some degree also smelt were concentrated at some meters above the thermocline. Around midnight, the CSA showed that smelt occupied higher water layers than vendace. Under different light conditions, both single and split beam echo sounders were in good agreement regarding the general level of fish density. In dusk and darkness, density estimates from echosounding and trawling as well as the TS-distribution between the single and split beam sounders were more consistent than those in daylight. We conclude that in boreal lakes single and split beam echosoundings outline, in comparable light conditions, consistent time series from the 1980s up to the year 2010. Darkness gives the best condition for estimating fish density and acoustic fish size.