Global Analysis of Shallow Underwater Fish Observation Research : 70 Years of Progress, Persistent Geographic Biases and a Path Forward

van Wyk, Angus John and Stuart‐Smith, Rick D. and Goetze, Jordan S. and Maire, Eva and Heyns‐Veale, Elodie and Smit, Kaylee and Langlois, Tim J. and MacNeil, M. Aaron and Matus, Alejandro Perez and Lombard, Amanda T. and Carolina, Ana and Semmens, Christy and Clausius, Ella and Rolim, Fernanda A. and Lefcheck, Jonathan S. and Monk, Jacquomo and Schmid, Joanna K. and Tattersall, Katherine and Ghigliotti, Laura and Adams, Luther and Samoilys, Melita and Chabanet, Pascale and Whomersley, Paul and Walsh, Peter and Masuda, Reiji and Brainard, Russell and Bernard, Anthony (2026) Global Analysis of Shallow Underwater Fish Observation Research : 70 Years of Progress, Persistent Geographic Biases and a Path Forward. Fish and Fisheries. ISSN 1467-2960

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Abstract

Marine 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. Underwater fish observation (UFObs) techniques, such as Underwater Visual Census (UVC), stereo‐Baited Remote Underwater Video (stereo‐BRUV) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), play a key role in sustaining long‐term data collection. Despite technological advancements, gaps persist in understanding research focus, geographic distribution and methodological biases inherent in these methods. We conducted a scientometric analysis of 1443 peer‐reviewed publications (1953–2023), employing natural language processing and network analysis to map the research landscape. We identified 15 knowledge clusters, including marine protected areas, apex predator conservation and reef ecosystems. Our findings reveal increasing use of BRUVS and ROVs in studies of marine protected areas and subsea infrastructure, while UVC remains prevalent in shallow coral reef research. Geographic representation is skewed, with the field dominated by researchers based in Australia and the United States, and underrepresented in Africa and Southeast Asia. This imbalance highlights the need for more inclusive, globally coordinated monitoring and reporting. Our 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. Addressing these challenges will strengthen the field's capacity to inform global conservation strategies and support sustainable fisheries management.