Fishery Condition Analysis
Questions about the health and condition of a fishery? Benthomap automatically analyzes your data and brings together common techniques used in fisheries management to provide all the information you need to manage a population.
Analyses:
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Length frequency
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Relative weight curve
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Relative weight percentages
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Proportional stock density (Largemouth Bass and Bluegill only)
Species Currently Available:
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Largemouth Bass
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Bluegill
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Redear Sunfish
Relative Weight
Using data collected over time, fisheries managers have determined how much a fish of a certain species and a given length should weigh. This is called standard weight. By comparing a fish's length and weight to the standard weight, we can determine its relative weight, giving us an idea of its condition.
Length Frequency
Length frequency analysis provides a snapshot of the size structure of a fish population by placing fish in length classes, or bins. Length frequency histograms are a common way that fisheries managers assess growth and mortality within a population
Proportional Stock Density
Proportional stock density (PSD) is another way of examining population size structure that is equal to the proportion of the number fish that are "quality" length to the number of fish that are "stock" length. By comparing the PSD of Largemouth Bass to Bluegill, we can tell whether a pond is balanced.
