Using side-scan sonar to survey critically endangered smalltooth sawfish

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Surveys to monitor changes in population size and geographic range of endangered species, are a critical component of recovery plans. The smalltooth sawfish (Pristis pectinata) is classified as endangered in the US, although there is evidence that a lifeboat population exists in coastal Florida waters. Sawfish occupy shallow embayments and estuaries, and surveying these habitats is critical. Here we show that sawfish can be easily identified from side-scan sonar surveys of shallow waters (<10 m), providing a method for rapidly surveying large areas. Side-scan surveys can provide an efficient method for assessing the recovery and distribution of sawfish in shallow coastal waters.