Changing coasts: Marine aliens and articial structures

Abstract

All marine species studied thus far show rhythmic temporal patterns in their behavioural, physiological, and molecular functions, which are collectively known as biological rhythms. Biological rhythms are generated by biological clocks that time biological functions and are synchronised by geophysical cycles such as the solar lightdark cycle and tidal cycle. On continental margins, behavioural rhythms can be detected by diel (i.e., 24-h based) or seasonal periodical trawling as a consequence of massive inward and outward displacements of populations to and from the sample areas. As a result, significant errors in population/stock and biodiversity assessments performed by trawling may occur if timing of sampling is not taken into account. The increasing number of cabled and permanent multiparametric seafloor observatories now allows direct, continuous, and long-lasting monitoring of benthic ecosystems and analysis in relation to several habitat cycles. This review describes the adaptation of this technology to investigations of rhythmic behaviour by focusing on automated videoimaging. Diel fluctuations in the number of video-observed individuals can be used as a measure of average population rhythmic behaviour. The potential implementation of automated video image analysis in relation to animal tracking and classification procedures based on the combined use of morphometric tools and multivariate statistics is detailed in relation to populational and community studies. Based on video cameras mounted at multiparametric cabled observatories, an integrated time-series analysis protocol using chrono-biomedical procedures is proposed to place video-recorded bioinformation in an oceanographic context.

Ecological Role of Submarine Canyons and Need for Canyon Conservation: A Review

“…Benthic multiparametric platforms endowed for oceanographic, geologic, and chemical sensors allow remote investigation of the canyon environment. When these sensors are associated with imaging and acoustic equipment, species presence can be related to particular states in the monitored environmental variables providing important data on community temporal dynamics (Aguzzi et al, 2012). In particular, key research can be to date focused on issues of relevance for canyon ecology at the largest cabled observatory network on the planet, as operated by Ocean Network Canada (ONC; http://www.oceannetworks.ca/).…”

“…Submarine canyons are one of these habitats. Recent novel technological developments including underwater acoustic mapping, imaging, and sampling technologies, and long-term/permanent moored or benthic observatories, have greatly contributed to our understanding of the diverse and complex hydrodynamics (Xu, 2011) and geomorphology of canyons over the last two decades (Robert et al, 2014;Quattrini et al, 2015), allowing the spatiotemporal tracking of oceanographic processes and the associated biological responses, with an integration level that grows every day (Aguzzi et al, 2012;Matabos et al, 2014). As a result of prospective surveys, we know that submarine canyons are major geomorphic features of continental margins, with more than 9000 large canyons covering 11.2% of continental slopes globally , with an estimated accumulated axis length of over 25,000 km (Huang et al, 2014).…”

Implementing and Innovating Marine Monitoring Approaches for Assessing Marine Environmental Status

“…Cabled multiparametric seafloor observatories are usually connected to the shore to transmit data in real-time. Data could be delivered via cable, automatically streamed to an internet socket, uploaded onto the website and automatically processed (Aguzzi et al, 2012b).…”

A practical guide to the use of consumer-level digital still cameras for precise stereogrammetric <I>in situ</I> assessments in aquatic environments

“…The possibility of observing specific species over the complete diurnal cycle in their natural habitat is only possible with a cabled and fixed installed observatory such as the remote-controlled SLR system (Fig 10) or a video-monitoring system used by Aguzzi et al (2009;. An observation over 24hr, however, is highly recommended to complete studies on biodiversity and population assessments (Aguzzi et al, 2012;.…”

“…Excellent summaries of the applications of stereophotography and videogrammetry to marine biology have been published (Williams, 1969;Rorslett et al, 1978;Fischer et al, 2007;Williams et al, 2010;Aguzzi et al, 2012), which demonstrate the usefulness of both stereogrammetry-based videos and still photography in assessing the metric traits of fish stocks, for example in 'untrawlable' habitats. Stereoscopic assessments, furthermore, provide a valuable tool for SCUBA-supported non-destructive rapid assessment surveys and monitoring programmes, and are especially applicable to the assessment of endangered species, which are protected against capture (Shortis et al, 2007).…”