An evaluation of acoustic and video methods to estimate the abundance and vertical distribution of jellyfish

Four non-invasive methods (three acoustic and one video) were compared to estimate the abundance and vertical distribution of scyphomedusae, using the locally abundant coronate species Periphylla periphylla in Lurefjorden, north of Bergen, Norway, as the test organism. The acoustic methods included single-target quantification by, respectively, a hull-mounted 38 kHz split-beam echo sounder and a 675 kHz scanning sonar mounted on a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Data from acoustic backscattering provided estimates of abundance and changes in the vertical position of scattering (1⁄4 aggregation) layers. Vertical migration was also studied by acoustic target tracking, following single individuals as they ascended in the afternoon. The ROV-mounted scanning sonar missed an unidentified part in the lower size distribution of the target population. Vertical video profiles, conducted during ROV dives, provided the most detailed information on abundance and distribution, although uncertainties remained regarding the size distribution in the population.