Video technology facilitates broad scale synthesis of ecological data

With increasing anthropogenic impacts across the globe, it is becoming more important to collect accurate ecological data over broad spatial scales in a timely manner. This will facilitate synthesis over regional and/or global... [ view full abstract ]

With increasing anthropogenic impacts across the globe, it is becoming more important to collect accurate ecological data over broad spatial scales in a timely manner. This will facilitate synthesis over regional and/or global scales and provide information that can be translated into conservation and fisheries management outcomes. The use of video technology to monitor the marine environment, has facilitated the rapid collection of a broad range of ecological data over large spatial scales. In particular, methods such as baited remote underwater video and diver operated video can provide information on the abundance, biomass, length and behaviour of marine organisms, simultaneous to habitat assessments, reducing data collection time. Here I discuss the advantages and limitations of video technology and give examples of broad scale projects such as the Global FinPrint project (the world’s first global assessment of sharks and rays) and GlobalArchive (an online repository that facilitates collaborative data synthesis). Finally, I discuss the implications and potential advantages of using video technology in the future.