Present state and future about application of satellite remote sensing for fisheries around Japan

Abstract

Satellite images delineate several meso-scale features, such as warm-core ring, warm and cold streamer. Warm-core ring is very important factor for finding fishing ground. Warm streamer is selectively utilized by fish schools as their migration routes from the Kuroshio Extension to the warm-core rings in the north and from the warm-core rings to the coastal waters. These migration routes were investigated using research vessels, satellite images, aerial observations, and commercial catch data. Fish schools were distributed in the warm streamer, especially at their heads, where phytoplankton and zooplankton were most heavily concentrated. Sometimes these warm streamers grazed coastal area with pelagic fish schools and supplied many fishes into the set-net. Tip of warm streamer always have some slick-phenomena, which were found in the coastal area from the land. These slick-phenomena become to put mark on approach of warm streamer with many fish schools. These observing methods had better be utilized at the same time for research of the warm streamer in detail. It is very important for total observing system, which was spatial and simultaneous system, to make clear about fisheries oceanographic phenomena. © 2002, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.