Estimation of kelp forest, Laminaria spp., distributions in coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula, Hokkaido, Japan, using echosounder and geostatistical analysis

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Sustainable management of the kelp forests of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage site, is necessary due to kelp's ecological and economic importance. The objectives of this study were to estimate the area of kelp forests and to clarify their spatial characteristics in coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula. Data on the presence/absence and thickness of kelp forests were collected via acoustic observation on transects over about 80 km using an echosounder at 200 kHz. Acoustic data were geostatistically interpolated, and the areas covered by kelp forests were estimated. Differences in kelp distribution between the eastern and western sides of the peninsula were compared. The total area of kelp forest was 3.88 km2 (eastern area: 3.49 km2; western area: 0.39 km2). The range of thickness of the kelp forests was 34-91 cm. Many kelp forests in the eastern area were thick (>78 cm) and distributed continuously, while kelp forests in the western area were sparsely distributed.