Abstract
AbstractThe use of camera and video technologies for conducting underwater surveys has rapidly expanded over the past several decades. However, the utility of these systems can be significantly hampered by numerous logistical factors, including limited underwater visibility, rough bottom topography, and ease of use for the operator. Video studies can be difficult to compare when methods and terminologies differ. Here, we describe the development of a cost‐effective diver‐propelled underwater ski‐based video system for rapidly acquiring videos in challenging shallow, high‐energy rocky benthic habitats for quantifying fish, macroalgae, and invertebrates in a coastal temperate system. The ski held the camera at a (relatively) fixed distance from the seafloor, we used parallel lasers to quantify our observations, and we used the standardized language of the Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard to acquire consistent quantitative data to serve as an ecological baseline, also including archived images. Our results indicate that the ski proved to be an effective tool for capturing insightful data that would otherwise be very difficult and time‐consuming to collect. Our baseline and repeatable methods can be used by other investigators at this or other locations for monitoring, re‐evaluation, or comparisons to other sites.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.