Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the distribution of sessile organisms and the environment of water quality, water depth and direction of upright structure, and to evaluate the effectiveness of this new research method with the use of an underwater camera as an observation equipment for sessile organisms in comparison with general methods. The research for sessile organisms was carried out at the upright structures in twenty-one ports and fishing ports in four prefectures (Tokushima, Hyogo, Osaka and Wakayama) around Osaka Bay in the summer of 2002. The results of our research showed the distribution of sessile organisms attributed to water quality, water depth, direction of upright structure, and that this research method for sessile organisms was more effective than general methods. With those results, we suggest that this simple research method for sessile organisms on upright structures is highly effective to carry out studies at many sites in large areas at low cost.
