Acoustic telemetry system as a novel approach for evaluating the effective attraction of fish to artificial reefs

Due to there being a lack of suitable approaches for evaluating the effectiveness artificial reefs, two experiments were designed examine feasibility acoustic telemetry, rapidly developing method tracking aquatic animals. The first experiment was conducted understand deployment procedures an telemetry system and determine appropriate receivers’ spacing, while second quantify site fidelity habitat use 11 reef fish in Fangchenggang area northern South China Sea, China. results indicated that logistic regression model effective way balance detection probability at different distances between range test transmitter receiver, with above 50% within 240 m 80% 110 m. residency index, as quantification fidelity, 0.85 ± 0.24. 100% minimum convex polygon, 95% kernel utilization distribution, which are indicators use, 34,522.94 35,548.95, 1,467.52 1,619.05, 236.01 294.59 2 , respectively. High small spatial scale demonstrated reefs man-made structure attract fish. Overall, this study supports system, indicating it provides good approach quantifying associations