Using baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs) to characterize chondrichthyan communities in a global biodiversity hotspot.

ABSTRACT: Threatened chondrichthyan diversity is high in developing countries where scarce resources, limited data, and minimal stakeholder support often render conservation efforts challenging. As such, data on many species, including many evolutionarily distinct endemics, is poor in these countries and their conservation status and habitat needs remain uncertain. Here, we used baited remote underwater videos (BRUVs; n = 419) conducted at 167 sites over two years to assess the frequency of occurrence (FO), relative abundance, diversity, and structure of chondrichthyan assemblages in one of the world's chondrichthyan biodiversity and endemism hotspots, South Africa. We compared chondrichthyan assemblages across three habitat types, and between unprotected and protected areas (a small marine protecte

SUBMITTER: Osgood GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6892530 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature