@article{fdi:010096365,
  title = {{G}lobal analysis of shallow underwater fish observation research : 70 years of progress, persistent geographic biases and a path forward},
  author = {van {W}yk, {A}. {J}. and {S}tuart-{S}mith, {R}. {D}. and {G}oetze, {J}. {S}. and {M}aire, {E}va and {H}eyns-{V}eale, {E}. and {S}mit, {K}. and {L}anglois, {T}. {J}. and {M}ac{N}eil, {M}. {A}. and {M}atus, {A}. {P}. and {L}ombard, {A}. {T}. and {C}arolina, {A}. and {S}emmens, {C}. and {C}lausius, {E}. and {R}olim, {F}. {A}. and {L}efcheck, {J}. {S}. and {M}onk, {J}. and {S}chmid, {J}. {K}. and {T}attersall, {K}. and {G}higliotti, {L}. and {A}dams, {L}. and {S}amoilys, {M}. and {C}habanet, {P}ascale and {W}homersley, {P}. and {W}alsh, {P}. and {M}asuda, {R}. and {B}rainard, {R}. and {B}ernard, {A}.},
  editor = {},
  language = {{ENG}},
  abstract = {{M}arine ecosystems are increasingly threatened by overfishing, pollution, coastal development and climate change, underscoring the need for long-term, representative information on key fish populations and habitats to inform management and policy. {U}nderwater fish observation ({UFO}bs) techniques, such as {U}nderwater {V}isual {C}ensus ({UVC}), stereo-{B}aited {R}emote {U}nderwater {V}ideo (stereo-{BRUV}) and {R}emotely {O}perated {V}ehicles ({ROV}s), play a key role in sustaining long-term data collection. {D}espite technological advancements, gaps persist in understanding research focus, geographic distribution and methodological biases inherent in these methods. {W}e conducted a scientometric analysis of 1443 peer-reviewed publications (1953-2023), employing natural language processing and network analysis to map the research landscape. {W}e identified 15 knowledge clusters, including marine protected areas, apex predator conservation and reef ecosystems. {O}ur findings reveal increasing use of {BRUVS} and {ROV}s in studies of marine protected areas and subsea infrastructure, while {UVC} remains prevalent in shallow coral reef research. {G}eographic representation is skewed, with the field dominated by researchers based in {A}ustralia and the {U}nited {S}tates, and underrepresented in {A}frica and {S}outheast {A}sia. {T}his imbalance highlights the need for more inclusive, globally coordinated monitoring and reporting. {O}ur results underscore the urgency of standardising protocols within each observation method and developing interoperable reporting frameworks across techniques to maximise data comparability and foster international collaboration. {A}ddressing these challenges will strengthen the field's capacity to inform global conservation strategies and support sustainable fisheries management.},
  keywords = {epistemic mapping ; essential ocean variables ; methodological ; standardisation ; research landscape ; scientometric analysis ; underwater ; fish observation techniques ; {MONDE}},
  booktitle = {},
  journal = {{F}ish and {F}isheries},
  volume = {[{E}arly access]},
  numero = {},
  pages = {[20 p.]},
  ISSN = {1467-2960},
  year = {2026},
  DOI = {10.1111/faf.70072},
  URL = {https://www.documentation.ird.fr/hor/fdi:010096365},
}