NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub, Theme 1- Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) - Stereo stills and video

Full description

The Flinders Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) survey was a pilot study undertaken in August 2012 as part of the National Marine Biodiversity Hub's National monitoring evaluation and reporting theme. The aim of this theme is to develop a bluepint for the sustained monitoring of the South-east CMR Network. The particular aims of the survey were twofold; 1) to contribute to an inventory of demersal and epibenthic conservation values in the reserve and 2) to test methodologies and deployment strategies in order to inform future survey design efforts. Several gear types were deployed; including multibeam sonar, shallow-water (less than 150m) Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), deep- water BRUVS (to 600 m), towed video and digital stereo stills. This resource contains the video and stereo still image data collected using a towed system (towed stereo camera system - TSCS). The TSCS was deployed using a probabalistic and spatially balanced survey design called Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS). Habitats on the shelf were identified in a previous multibeam survey and consisted of 'mixed reef' (containing patchy reef) and sand. Mixed reef habitat was targeted in this survey (9 GRTS mixed reef sites versus 3 sand sites). Two roughly perpendicular TSCS tows were performed in each of those shelf GRTS sites. On the slope, down-slope (150-500 m depth) transect sites were classified by proportion of hard, soft and mixed bottom types based on multi-beam sonar (MBS) backscatter data. Transects with higher proportion of hard substrates were chosen using a GRTS approach. 7 transects were completed in the Flinders CMR, 5 transects in the adjacent Cape Barren Fisheries closure and two targeted transects were completed in a canyon to the north, where large coral bycatch had been reported from fisheries.

Lineage

Statement: The shallow towed stereo camera system developed by CSIRO (TSCS) was deployed probabalistic and spatially balanced survey design called Generalized Random Tessellation Stratified (GRTS). The STV combines stereo digital stills cameras and a video camera on a towed platform that can be deployed to ~550m depth; the system collects video clips, stereo still images at regular intervals and logs data regarding position, depth altitude etc. of the camera system. On the continental shelf (<150m depth) 12 GRTS sites were sampled (9 mixed reef sites and 3 sand sites) by two roughly perpendicular TSCS transects (~300m) over the centre point of the GRTS site; stereo still images were collected at 3s intervals. On the slope (150-500m depth), down-slope transect (1.5km to 4.5km) were sampled; stereo still images were collected at 5-10s intervals. 7 transects were completed in the Flinders CMR, 5 transects in the adjacent Cape Barren Fisheries closure and two targeted transects were completed in a canyon to the north, where large coral bycatch had been reported from fisheries. The data consist of raw electronic video files (.AVI files), stereo pairs of still images (.JPG) and data-log files (.TXT). The files were renamed such that the survey identifier, sample number, clip number, port or starboard camera, and UTC time are encoded in the filename. Note, geolocation of camera in water was calculated using vessel GPS position and triangulation of depth, wire-length and heading direction. Video footage and still images will be analysed for seafloor characteristics and biota and will be the subject of a separate metadata record.

Notes

Credit
National Environmental Research Program (NERP) Any users of NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub data are required to clearly acknowledge the source of the material in the format: "Data was sourced from the NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub - the Marine Biodiversity Hub is supported through funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Research Program (NERP), administered by the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (DSEWPaC)." If relevant, also credit other organisations involved in collection of this particular datastream (as listed in 'credit' in the metadata record)