Underwater Abalone Assessment

how to survey abalone is coming as soon I as figure out why PDF attachments wont attach.

You meant this attached PDF?

You meant this attached PDF?

Nope, but I will check it it out as well there may be similarities but I don't think so.

This one: title: Power and efficiency of a research diver, with a description of a rapid underwater measuring gauge: Their use in measuring recruitment and density of an abalone population.

http://archive.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/handle/123456789/9861

Author: Shepherd, SA

Abstract: Experiments to measure the power, measuring time and efficiency of research divers are described. Power values for individual divers ranged from 15 to 27 m2 min.-1 (mean 20.5 m2 min.-1), measuring time from 2.9 to 6.2 seconds and the searching ability component of efficiency from 0.67 to 0.78. The power of a diver is affected by swell and algal cover. Another component of efficiency, namely the diver's ability to discriminate between habitat types shows no significant variation between divers but varies according to site characteristics, an needs to be taken into account. The results are used to estimate densities of abalone by the free-range search method at several sites in Waterloo Bay, South Australia, and are compared with transect line censuses. The free-range search method tends to give higher estimates of density but has the advantage of substantial savings of time underwater.

Description: American Academy of Underwater Sciences (http://www.aaus.org/)

You know I gave Shepherds the once over and I like it a lot !
I think Shepherds survey method would better reflect what abalone densities are and bridge the disconnect of what the divers are seeing in the water and what the DFW's methods say the abalone densities are. I need to read the DFW's one, but even without doing so I know the DFW's survey methods were never intended to be total abundance density surveys, and I believe the difference between what Shepherd survey method is to get as close to abundance densities as possible in a given area where as the DFW's survey methods are not. In General the DFW's surveys is designed with ANOVA mathematics in mind: making things fit into a square in round world and in the round world Shepherds method works because the survey diver flows with the crevices and contours.   

P.S. thanks for the bump !   

Well,,, I finally took the time to read thru the Shepard paper. 

Very technical, BUT should be scanned to understand the free range diver concept, after that, way too many details. 

But the idea and methodology of this type of survey method being used to estimate our Ab population sounds like a significant step forward if there was some way to convince DFW to consider it or something similar.

My personal opinion is that individuals like me feel pretty much ignored in these processes, (MLPA experience) and that there is little an individual sportsman can do to sway rule making.  This feeling of being ignored  has led to allot of sportsmen not taking the time to express their opinions. Not a good thing.

HOWEVER, in California with DFW regs it seems that some of the divers organizations do have some sway though, witness some of the pro diver regs that have been tweaked in recent years.

Changing the way Ab population (especially reds) surveys are done is way overdue, the description of the method in the Shepard paper is well supported including some of it's drawbacks and sounds like a viable option. 

Hopefully some of the organizations with sway will make a run at it.

Thank you Dale for taking the time to read and get a good understanding of the survey methodology, that even to this day I understand, is still being in used  in other abalone fishery managements.

Shepard's survey methodology, free-range search method is as I understand it is the first step needed to be performed, an assessment, for consideration to manage abalone under a spawning potential ratio (SPR) regiment regime.

What I can pass along now is yes both the DFW and the Commission have expressed interest in exploring managing possibilities for abalone using an modified size base catch at maturity SPR management regime for red abalone that may in someway may feed into the current red abalone FMP process now underway. We should not be surprised about this. For our lobster fishery for example, it looks as if lobster will be manged using an SPR management regime.
http://www.fgc.ca.gov/meetings/2014/mar/Lobster_FMP_Harvest_Control_Rules_032414.pdf