What does FAD mean in OCEAN SCIENCE

A Fish Attracting Device (FAD) is a type of artificial structure designed to attract fish, usually used in commercial fishery operations. This structure can be made of material such as plastic, wood or metal and can be suspended above the water surface or attached to the seabed. FADs usually contain natural attractants like bait, which will draw in different types of fish for easy harvesting.

FADs use natural attractants such as bait to draw in fish. The structure also provides shelter and a place for the fish to hide from predators, making it easier for fishermen to catch them. Additionally, the presence of an artificial structure in the environment often causes an increase in plankton populations which further attracts more fish into the vicinity.

FADs can attract a variety of species such as tuna, mahi-mahi, marlin, wahoo and other pelagic fishes. Even corals may settle near these structures if they provide suitable substrate and protection from predators.

FADs are typically deployed in dense fishing grounds where there is a high concentration of pelagic fishes found throughout the year or during specific seasons. Oceans off tropical countries are known areas where FADS are widely deployed due to their warm temperate waters allowing for greater productivity and catching potential throughout year round.

While FADS offer targeted fisheries an effective way to catch large numbers of specific species quickly and efficiently, they can potentially cause damage to fragile ecosystems if not managed properly by government authorities and fisheries sectors. Bycatch is one possible problem that could arise due to lack of regulation on how many total number of fishing vessels should be allowed in area as well as controlling what kind of gear each vessel can use around particular fad site.

Depending on your local regulations you may need some sort licensing or permit prior to deploying a fad before entering fishing grounds but this would vary from country as well as region so it’s best to check with relevant authorities at state level before setting up any operation near coastal area.

Yes! Not only does using a fad provide extra incentives for juveniles not ready yet harvestable size but also increases biodiversity within marine ecosystem because adult/juvenile ratio gets balanced since smaller version get stimulated towards certain areas enriched feeding environment providing survival chances for those who normally wouldn’t find adequate quantity food sources elsewhere.

It's important to choose materials that won't degrade easily over time due to exposure saltwater conditions or cause harm marine life if come into contact with them directly so UV resistant plastics with non-toxic paints used coating them should suffice most cases.