Unleashing the Potential of the 360° Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVS): An Innovative Design for Complex Habitats

Coastal ecosystems are vital for numerous demersal and benthopelagic species, offering critical habitats throughout their life cycles. Effective monitoring of these species in complex coastal environments is essential, yet traditional survey methodologies are often impractical due to environmental c...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Marine Science and Engineering
Main Authors: Marisa A. Gomes, Catarina M. Alves, Fábio Faria, Regina Neto, Edgar Fernandes, Jesus S. Troncoso, Pedro T. Gomes
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024
Subjects:
northeast atlantic
species monitoring
coastal habitats
underwater videos
low-cost
underwater video
Naval architecture. Shipbuilding. Marine engineering
VM1-989
Oceanography
GC1-1581
Northeast Atlantic
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12081346
https://doaj.org/article/382baa75f2dc4534ba6bf9bc9c4b4202
Description
Summary:Coastal ecosystems are vital for numerous demersal and benthopelagic species, offering critical habitats throughout their life cycles. Effective monitoring of these species in complex coastal environments is essential, yet traditional survey methodologies are often impractical due to environmental constraints like strong currents and high wave regimes. This study introduces a new cost-effective Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVS) design featuring a vertical structure and 360° cameras developed to overcome limitations of traditional BRUVS, such as system anchoring, overturning, and restricted frame view. The new design was compared against a previous one used on the northwest Iberian coast. Key performance metrics included species detection, habitat identification, and operational efficiency under complex hydrodynamic conditions. Findings reveal that the two designs can effectively identify the common species typically observed in the study area. However, the new design outperformed the previous by significantly reducing equipment losses and anchoring issues. This enhancement in field operations’ simplicity, operability, portability, and resiliency underscores the new system’s potential as a cost-effective and efficient tool for demersal and benthopelagic ecological surveys in challenging coastal seascapes. This innovative BRUVS design offers advanced monitoring solutions, improving habitat assessment accuracy and responsiveness.

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