A live video observatory reveals temporal processes at a shelf-depth whale-fall
There have been very few studies of temporal processes at chemosynthetic ecosystems, even at relatively more accessible shallow water sites. Here we report the development and deployment of a simple cabled video observatory at ≈ 30 m water depth in Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden. The camera provides a live...
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
2010
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Online Access: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1470435/1/Glover%20MS6CBE%20Glover%20et%20al.pdf https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1470435/ |
Summary: | There have been very few studies of temporal processes at chemosynthetic ecosystems, even at relatively more accessible shallow water sites. Here we report the development and deployment of a simple cabled video observatory at ≈ 30 m water depth in Gullmarsfjorden, Sweden. The camera provides a live video feed to the internet of faunal activity at the experiments, which to date have included 5 separate whale-fall deployments. Our data suggest that the time to decomposition of small cetacean carcasses at shelf-depth settings is considerably slower than at deep-sea sites. We have also provided a new methodology for the deployment of low-cost live video observatories at up to 30 m water depth, which can be used both for research and outreach activities. |
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