An integrated data management and video system for sampling aquatic benthos

Abstract

Abstract. Remote video systems can be expensive, slow to deploy and the data recorded may not be available until the system has been retrieved. To overcome these issues, a rapid, non-destructive and cost-effective remote video and data management system was developed to record benthic habitats in Shark Bay, Western Australia. This system comprises a downward-oriented video camera, linked to a laptop computer, attached to the apex of a stainless steel pyramid to film a 1-m 2 area of benthos. The video image of the substratum, spatial coordinates, depth and temperature are recorded in a database at the time of deployment. A web interface was developed to manage the database and examine the video images to determine the percentage cover of seagrass, sponge type (conical/non-conical) and the total number of sponges in the quadrat. Using this system, 1380 video quadrats were collected from a study area of, 248 km 2 , ranging in water depth from 2 m to 16 m. An average of 16.4 (₃1.3 s.e.) samples was recorded every hour during 15 days. This system could be modified to quantify substratum components at a greater taxonomic resolution or to record details of the mobile fauna.

Complex prey handling of octopus by bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus)

“…High‐resolution satellite imagery was validated via 185 validation points following the drop‐down camera methods described in Tyne et al . (). Each validation point was rated post hoc for the percentage of habitat cover following Kohler and Gill ().…”

“…To explore if there was a relationship between octopus handling events and habitat type, a benthic habitat map was created following Sprogis (2015). High-resolution satellite imagery was validated via 185 validation points following the drop-down camera methods described in Tyne et al (2010). Each validation point was rated post hoc for the percentage of habitat cover following Kohler and Gill (2006).…”

Ecological characteristics contribute to sponge distribution and tool use in bottlenose dolphins Tursiops sp.

“…A rapid, non-destructive and cost-effective remote video and data management system was developed to record data on benthic habitats in Shark Bay (Tyne et al 2010). From 21 April to 25 May 2008 we navigated 12 predetermined 11 km long transects (T1 to T12; Fig.…”

“…At each sample position, the camera and 1 m 2 frame quadrat were lowered to the seabed and a short video of the substrate was captured on the connected laptop (Tyne et al 2010). Date, time, depth, where benthic habitats were sampled using a video system to determine the distribution of conical sponges Echinodictyum mesenterinum in the western gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia temperature, and latitude and longitude were re corded.…”

“…Date, time, depth, where benthic habitats were sampled using a video system to determine the distribution of conical sponges Echinodictyum mesenterinum in the western gulf of Shark Bay, Western Australia temperature, and latitude and longitude were re corded. At the end of each sampling day, a data manage ment system was used to analyse the videos (Tyne et al 2010). The following data were recorded from each video capture of a quadrat: presence/absence of conical sponges, number of conical spon ges, presence/absence of seagrass, percentage cover of seagrass and type of substratum.…”