Preliminary study on the use of the Vemco Positioning System to determine fish movements in artificial reef areas: a case study on Sciaena umbra Linnaeus, 1758

Abstract

This paper presents the results of an application of a new ultrasonic telemetry method for brown meagre, Sciaena umbra inhabiting an artificial reef (AR) in the northern Aegean Sea. The objective of the study was the use of Vemco Positioning System (VPS) methods to determine the short-term movements from August to September 2013 of four brown meagre in an artificial reef site. All S. umbra disappeared from the VPS detection range after a variable number of days (1–19 days of continuous monitoring). It is assumed that they did not colonize the site and left the detection area. From the methodological point of view, the VPS proved to be a suitable tool to determine fine-scale movements of reef species such as Sciaena umbra in artificial reef areas. In conclusion, this study should be considered very preliminary; it is also necessary to increase the number of tagged fish, with additional research on the behavior of reef species to better clarify these aspects. This study will serve as a source for future studies in that it provides data for the understanding of fish movements in artificial reefs.