FISH RESOURCE OBSERVATION METHOD WITH STEREO-CAMERA INTEGRATION ON ROV (REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE)

Abstract

Observation of fish resources in various aquatic ecosystems is an important aspect in scientific research, conservation, and fisheries management. The use of stereo cameras is a commonly used non-destructive alternative to conventional methods such as sampling with fishing gear or visual observation by divers. However, this technology has limitations in that it can only be applied in shallow waters such as coral reef and demersal ecosystems. The method developed from this invention integrates a stereo camera system on an ROV so that it can be operated in various types of aquatic ecosystems. It allows for accurate measurement of fish body length, estimation of relative abundance, and observation of fish behavior in their natural habitat conditions. System validation is carried out by comparing the length estimation results from stereo images with the actual length of the test object (metal jig).The results of error tests and in-situ observations show that the relative error value is at a low level and is quite accurate for estimating fish length, especially in water conditions with good visibility.