A quantitative comparison of towed-camera and diver-camera transects for monitoring coral reefs.

ABSTRACT: Novel tools and methods for monitoring marine environments can improve efficiency but must not compromise long-term data records. Quantitative comparisons between new and existing methods are therefore required to assess their compatibility for monitoring. Monitoring of shallow water coral reefs is typically conducted using diver-based collection of benthic images along transects. Diverless systems for obtaining underwater images (e.g. towed-cameras, remotely operated vehicles, autonomous underwater vehicles) are increasingly used for mapping coral reefs. Of these imaging platforms, towed-cameras offer a practical, low cost and efficient method for surveys but their utility for repeated measures in monitoring studies has not been tested. We quantitatively compare a towed-camera approach to

SUBMITTER: Cresswell AK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8052974 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature