This study developed and evaluated a load cell-based automatic weighing system for the automated harvesting of laver (Porphyra tenera) in seaweed aquaculture. The current manual harvesting process was compared with the load cell-based automated system, and quantitative measurements of time, distance, and weight were conducted. The results demonstrated that the load cell-based system reduced the unloading time and increased the throughput compared to the manual method. In addition, statistical analysis confirmed that there was no significant difference from the mean in the weight measurement obtained using the load cell-based system. Based on these findings, the load cell-based automatic weighing system holds potential for efficient production and transactions in laver cultivation, contributing to cost reduction and improving the quality of life for aquaculture workers.

Various artificial reefs provide the fish habitat and nursery, and contribute the improvement of fisheries productivity. The evaluation methods of fishery resources in the artificial reefs have been done by fishing, scuba diving, underwater camera, and scientific echo sounder/sonar. There are a number of studies using echosounders on the quantitative and qualitative evaluations of artificial reefs in various seas around the world. This study focused on the spatial distribution of fishes around artificial reefs and the influential area of reefs off Bukchon, Jeju Island. Not only acoustic data but also various properties of artificial reefs were used in the geographic information system to extract relevant results. As a result, the major material of reefs on this study site was concrete and the number of reefs with that material was the most. The volume of reefs consisted of steel only and steel with riprap was considerably large compared to other reefs. The average NASC in the vertical distribution of fishes in artificial reefs was 31.6 m2/nm2 in April, and that was 61.3 m2/nm2 in June. The distance between the fish school and their nearest reef in June morning had a wide range from 750 to 3250 m. On the basis of the influence ray of artificial reefs, it had a tendancy of NASC to decrease with distance from the reef in the June morning. It is a preliminary study to present the geospatial analysis example to understand a better way of comprehensive artificial reef environments.

This study was conducted to understand the relationships between fish and zooplankton of distribution in the coastal waters of the East Sea from May to August 2016 using hydroacoustic. To distinguish between fish and zooplankton, we used the time varied threshold (TVT) method at the frequency of 120 kHz. As a result, the mean nautical area scattering coefficient (NASC) of fish was highest at 913 m2/n.mile2 in June and lowest at 315 m2/n.mile2 in July. The mean NASC of zooplankton was highest at 247 m2/n.mile2 in May and lowest at 70 m2/n.mile2 in July. The mean NASC of fish and zooplankton showed a significant difference (P < 0.05) with high correlation (R2 = 0.84). In addition, there was no significant difference in the mean NASC of fishes and zooplankton by depth (t-test, person correction = -0.17, p > 0.05).

Seafood is attracting attention as a future food industry. In recent years, the demand for fishery equipment of mechanization, automation, and unmanned was increased due to the environment affected by seafood processing, stricter regulations on safety, decline and aging of fishery worker. Ark shell (Scapharca subcrenata) was being produced in many steps in the production process. The process has been made such as collection–landing–washing–first sort (goods/non-goods)–transports– second sort (size). It was undergone first and second steps by delivering to the consumer. Here, the first step is to sort goods to collection and the second step is to sort by size. The fishery workers need ten people in first step and six people in second step. The workload of one hour per kg is 4,247 kg/h in first step and 2,213 kg/h in second step. In addition, the goods ratio by work process was 79% in first step and 98% in the second step. In this process, a lot of fishery worker and working time is needed. Therefore, this study developed elemental techniques for an automated size sorting system considering the working process problem, time and situation for washing and sorting of ark shell.

The species composition and variation in abundance of fishery resources near Oenarodo, Go-heung Peninsula, Korea, were investigated by gill net, trap net, and longline in May, July, and October 2015 and 2016. During the study period, the total catch included 14 species in the gill net, 11 species in the trap net, and 4 species in the longline. The dominant species were Portunus trituberculatus and Raja pulchrain the gill net, Charybdis japonicaand and Octopus vulgarisin in the trap net, and Muraenesox cinereusin in the longline. The Catch Per Unit Effort (CPUE) per individual and per weight in the gill net were similar in May and July of 2015 and 2016. In October 2015, the CPUE per individual was 2.1 ind./h and the CPUE per weight was 505 g/h higher than the results in 2016, but there was no significant difference in the total CPUE between 2015 and 2016. In the trap net, the CPUE per weight was similar in both 2015 and 2016, but the CPUE per individual was 2.7 ind./h higher in October 2015 than in October 2016 and the total CPUE was not significantly different from 2015 to 2016. The CPUE per individual and weight in the longline were significantly higher in July and October 2015 than in the same months of 2016, but the total CPUE in 2015 and 2016 did not show a significant difference.

The survey was conducted to investigate biomass and distribution of fisheries resources using a quantitative echo sounder and a fixed gillnet around Marado coast of Jeju to obtain the scientific basic data for dispute resolution with a large purse seine fishery and coastal fishing and policy establishment of reasonable fisheries resources. Hydroacoustic surveys were conducted six times (November 28~29, 2015 (night), February 23~24, 2016 (night) and March 3~4, 2016 (night/day), March 30~31, 2016 (night/day)) using a quantitative echo sounder. The pelagic fish densities were relatively higher around Marado in November 2015, February 2016 and March 3~4, 2016. However, demersal fish densities were relatively higher in Jeju coastal waters on March 30~31, 2016. Catch data using fixed gill net were used to calculate biomass. Based on the hydroacoustic data, fish length-weight function and target strength information of dominant fish, the biomass of fishes were estimated as follow: 5.64 ton CV = 70.2% at night on November 28-29 2015, 7.14 ton CV = 35.8% of pelagic fish and 530.77 ton CV = 34.6% of demersal fishes at night on February 23-24 2016, 2.34 ton CV = 56.7% of pelagic fish and 571.93 ton CV = 40.3% of demersal fish at daytime, 1.39 ton CV = 48.4% of pelagic fish and 194.59 ton CV = 54.3% of demersal fish at night on March 3~4 2016, 0.37 ton CV = 72.9% of pelagic fish and 338.79 ton CV = 99.7% of demersal fish at daytime, 0.24 ton CV = 21.3% of pelagic fish and 68.61 ton CV = 53.8% of demersal fish at night on March 30~31 2016.

This study aims to estimate the species, size and shape of fish using a non-contact 3 dimensional pattern laser so that this preliminary test was carried out to understand the structural feature and length of goldfish according to water turbidity and depth in the aquacultural tank. 3-D pattern laser could clearly detect its morphological shape except the caudal fin due to soft tissue. Since the sensing strength of line laser light according to depth has sufficient power, it is possible to measure its depth and structural feature in the detected range. The result showed that the measured error of individual’s fork length was less than ±1% in the water using 3-D pattern laser, when compared with the measured value in the air.

Changes in target strength (TS) values of sandfish when sandfish was alive and dead were investigated using ex-situ at120 kHz. TS values measured by tilt angles with ‑50∼+50 degrees showed ranges from ‑71.0 to ‑53.3 dB for live sandfish, ‑63.1~‑46.3 dB for thawed sandfish, and ‑70.0~‑50.4 dB after 24 hours from thawed, respectively. It was shown that while TS values were similar between the case of live and the case of after 24 hours from thawed, mean TS values were higher by approximately 5 dB in the case of immediate thawed sandfish. It was also seen that TS values were similar between the case of thawed sandfish and the case of after 21 hours from live. The results showed that TS values of live sandfish were different from those of frozen sandfish. It implies that when estimating TS of frozen fish, the influx of bubbles and changes of body should be considered.

This study was focused on acoustic scattering characteristics of jack mackerel (Trachurus japonicus) at frequency 38, 70, and 120 kHz by Kirchhoff-ray mode (KRM) model. The body length (BL) of 16 individuals ranged in 12.2~22.0 cm (mean±S.D.: 17.8±3.2 cm) and the swimbladder length ranged in 4.2~8.6 cm (mean±S.D.: 6.6±1.6 cm) and the swimbladder cross section ranged in 1.7~6.6 cm2 (mean±S.D.: 3.8±1.6 cm2). This result shows that results correlate well between the BL and the length and cross section of swimbladder. The swimbladder angle ranged in 7~12°and the maximum TS values ranged in –16~–5°at tilt angle. The averaged TS-to-BL relationship were TS38kHz=20log10BL-65.33 (R2=0.66), TS70kHz=20log10BL-65.90 (R2=0.67), and TS120kHz=20log10BL-66.65 (R2=0.65). These results can be used fundamental data in order to estimate distribution and biomass of jack mackerel by using hydro-acoustic method.

Acoustic target strength (TS) measurement and theoretical acoustic scattering models were applied to estimate the TS for assessing the fish biomass. TS measurement was made of ex situ sailfin sandfish Arctoscopus japonicus at 70 and 120 kHz, and then compared to backscatter model prediction. The live sandfish was tethered in seawater using monofilament lines. Measurements were made versus incidence angle, −50° to 50° relative to dorsal aspect directions. Distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) model was used to calculated TS pattern. The TS values of sandfish (body length: 16.2 cm) at 70 and 120 kHz were ‒66.94 dB and ‒64.45 dB, respectively, and were about 20 dB lower than TS of other fishes in Korea waters. These TS levels were distributed within the range of the theoretical TS. Ex situ measurement and theoretical TS may be applied to improve acoustical detection and biomass estimation of the sandfish, and is necessary to measure with various lengths.

We aimed to assess the behavior characteristics of fish on an artificial reef using hydroacoustic techniques. The acoustical survey was conducted with a 200 kHz dual beam transducer while fishing on the stone combination reef of Uljin. A school of fish were detected on the artificial reef before sunset and floated on the artificial reef at 30 minutes after sunset. The density (Nautical Area Scattering Coefficient, NASC) of fish that floated on the artificial reef after sunset was about 600 m2/nmi2; similar observations (about 50 m2/nmi2 or less) were noted after 19:00 hours. Fish caught by fishing on the artificial reef were Sebastes schlegeli, Hexagrammos otakii, Sebastes thompsoni, and Conger myriaster. Resultantly, we demonstrated that hydroacoustic techniques are useful for detecting behavior characteristics of fish in the artificial reef. Such results can be used for basic data to estimate the install effect of the artificial reefs.