A Standardized Workflow Based on the STAVIRO Unbaited Underwater Video System for Monitoring Fish and Habitat Essential Biodiversity Variables in Coastal Areas

Abstract

Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) related to benthic habitats and high trophic levels such as fish communities must be measured at fine scale but monitored and assessed at spatial scales that are relevant for policy and management actions. Local scales are important for assessing anthropogenic impacts, and conservation-related and fisheries management actions, while reporting on the conservation status of biodiversity to formulate national and international policies requires much broader scales. Measurements must account for the fact that coastal habitats and fish communities are heterogeneously distributed locally and at larger scales. Assessments based on in situ monitoring generally suffer from poor spatial replication and limited geographical coverage, which is challenging for area-wide assessments. Requirements for appropriate monitoring comprise cost-efficient and standardized observation protocols and data formats, spatially scalable and versatile data workflows, data that comply with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, while minimizing the environmental impact of measurements. This paper describes a standardized workflow based on remote underwater video that aims to assess fishes (at species and community levels) and habitat-related EBVs in coastal areas. This panoramic unbaited video technique was developed in 2007 to survey both fishes and benthic habitats in a cost-efficient manner, and with minimal effect on biodiversity. It can be deployed in areas where low underwater visibility is not a permanent or major limitation. The technique was consolidated and standardized and has been successfully used in varied settings over the last 12 years. We operationalized the EBV workflow by documenting the field protocol, survey design, image post-processing, EBV production and data curation. Applications of the workflow are illustrated here based on some 4,500 observations (fishes and benthic habitats) in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and Mediterranean Sea. The STAVIRO’s proven track-record of utility and cost-effectiveness indicates that it should be considered by other researchers for future applications.

A review of data collection methods used to monitor the associations of wild species with marine aquaculture sites

“…Video surveys have been used extensively throughout marine research as an automated alternative to diver-led VCS to monitor fish abundance and diversity, while also allowing for extrapolation of behaviour. 35,[107][108][109][110] Video surveying continues to improve as more capable cameras become available and new configurations are tested to increase the amount of water column surveyed. Baited remote underwater video systems (BRUVs) are commonly used in biological surveying and involves baiting a camera with food items to lure in any fish or macroinvertebrate in the area for video capture.…”

“…109,113 A study comparing the latter design to a traditional BRUV observed a significant increase in previously cryptic species and up to 60% higher abundance estimates of schooling species. 113 Unbaited 360 rotating cameras have also shown promise to provide more accurate estimation of ecological metrics than do traditional BRUVs, 107 and using parallel cameras may give a better representation of both biomass and swim speed. 114 Semi-automation of data processing could allow for larger temporal datasets to be efficiently analysed to measure how assemblages change over time.…”

“…Video surveys have been used extensively throughout marine research as an automated alternative to diver‐led VCS to monitor fish abundance and diversity, while also allowing for extrapolation of behaviour 35,107–110 . Video surveying continues to improve as more capable cameras become available and new configurations are tested to increase the amount of water column surveyed.…”

KOSMOS: An Open Source Underwater Video Lander for Monitoring Coastal Fishes and Habitats

“…In addition, because recording occurs over a 360 • field of view, fishes and habitats may be quantified over an estimated surface area around the lander. The STAVIRO protocol has proved efficient and reliable with over 5000 valid deployments in varied habitats of both temperate and tropical coral reef ecosystems since 2007 [6]. These contributed to numerous assessments of biodiversity and fished resources in the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea.…”