High-tech networks of robotic platforms for the monitoring of deep-sea crustacean populations

The Crustacean Society Mid-Year Meeting (TSC 2019), 26-30 May 2019, Hong Kong.-- 1 pageOur perception of deep-sea megafaunal benthic and pelagic biodiversity depends upon the development of remote and high-frequency monitoring technologies, capable of autonomous operation and during long-term deployments. In fact, deep-sea megafauna displays large inertial, internal-tidal and even diel synchronized spatial displacements, which affect biodiversity estimations usually based on temporally scattered sampling methodologies (e.g., ship-time dependent). To address this problem, underwater observatories (cabled, or in delay-mode), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), which include fast improving seafloor robots (crawlers), are being assembled into highly interconnected monitoring networks that can be used for data collection via high-bandwidth telecommunications. A time-coordinated optoacoustic (i.e., HD, laser scattering and multi-beam) imaging and passive acoustic characterization (i.e., for animal soundscapes) is being implemented to deliver time-series of counted individuals (as proxy of populations¿ rhythmic benthopelagic, nektobenthic and endobenthic movements), to be linked with the surrounding habitat forcing (i.e., via a concomitant acquisition of different oceanographic, chemical, and geological data). This multi-parametric monitoring is revealing important life traits for deep-sea species including crustaceans: it allows the scaling of behavioral states of individuals up to changes in perceived species composition (e.g., richness), their relative abundances (e.g., evenness), as well as predator-prey relationships (e.g., food web structure), with a reduced ecological footprint compared to more invasive deep-sea monitoring methods (e.g. trawling). Examples of such monitoring for crustaceans will be presented and discussedThe present work was supported by the following projects: ARIM (MartTERA ERA-Net Cofound); RESBIO (TEC2017-87861-R; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades); MERCES (Grant Agreement N. 689518), and IDEM (Grant Agreement N. 11.0661/2017/750680/SUB/ENV.C2

Autonomous and cabled underwater sensor networks applied to remote monitoring of biological indicators

European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2018, 8-13 April 2018, Vienna, Austria.-- 1 pageGeophysical cycles in the form of daily and seasonal changes in the light intensity and length of the photoperiod in all photic and disphotic zones, plus the marked hydrodynamic patterning of tides impose a strict synchronization of species behavior through natural selection. Rhythmic behavior under the form of massive populational displacements on the seabed and across the above water column, directly affects our perception of continental margin biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Monitoring biodiversity and the environmental drivers controlling those rhythms at different spatiotemporal scales is a key issue in a context of estimating the effects of the increasing anthropogenic impact. To comply with the monitoring of biological indicators set by the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD, 2008/56/EC; descriptors: D1= biodiversity; D2= alien species; D3= commercial fish and shellfish species; D6=seafloor integrity and D10= marine litter) and the technical guidance for monitoring (JCR 2014, Report EUR 26499 EN, identifying high-definition cameras as key tools for biodiversity monitoring), the development new methodologies for sampling the composition of communities in relation to species' rhythmic activity and its environmental control trough the coupling of new fixed and mobile multiparameteric platforms, is of pivotal relevance. In order to increase spatial coverage and allow for strategic and adaptive changes in monitoring, autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and benthic robots (crawlers) will be used, which will work in both spatial (near-area) and time-coordinated fashion via platform communication. In this scenario, different activities are being executed at the underwater cabled observatory, OBSEA like the H2020 JericoNext TNA action ADVANCE (Automatic Data and Video Acquisition for uNderwater monitoring across Coastal Environments), Spanish National Project RESBIO (Redes de sensores submarinos autónomos y cableados aplicados a la monitorización remota de indicadores biológicos), and MarTERA ERA-Net ARIM (Autonomous robotic sea-floor infrastructure for benthopelagic monitoring). Networks of fixed and mobile video cameras (i.e. fluctuations in counted individuals can be used as proxy of a populations' rhythms) will be used to enforce real-time and prolonged studies of the dynamics coastal and deep-sea communities in relation to surrounding habitat conditionings (i.e. via a concomitant acquisition of different oceanographic, chemical, and geological data). This multi-parametric monitoring is a challenge to be overcome, in order to have standardized protocols for the acquisition and automation of data processing regarding species composition (i.e. richness), relative abundances (i.e. evenness) and food web structure. Obtained data are of relevance since could be extended as reference for impact monitoring in industrial sectorsPeer Reviewe