A field and video-annotation guide for baited remote underwater stereo-video surveys of demersal fish assemblages

Researchers TL, BG, JW, NB and JM were supported by the Marine Biodiversity Hub through funding from the Australian Government's National Environmental Science Program. Data validation scripts and GlobalArchive.org were supported by the Australian Research Data Commons, the Gorgon-Barrow Island Gorgon Barrow Island Net Conservation Benefits Fund, administered by the Government of Western Australia and the BHP/UWA Biodiversity and Societal Benefits of Restricted Access Areas collaboration.1. Baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo-BRUVs) are a popular tool to sample demersal fish assemblages and gather data on their relative abundance and body-size structure in a robust, cost-effective, and non-invasive manner. Given the rapid uptake of the method, subtle differences have emerged in the way stereo-BRUVs are deployed and how the resulting imagery are annotated. These disparities limit the interoperability of datasets obtained across studies, preventing broad-scale insights into the dynamics of ecological systems. 2. We provide the first globally accepted guide for using stereo-BRUVs to survey demersal fish assemblages and associated benthic habitats. 3. Information on stereo-BRUV design, camera settings, field operations, and image annotation are outlined. Additionally, we provide links to protocols for data validation, archiving, and sharing. 4. Globally, the use of stereo-BRUVs is spreading rapidly. We provide a standardised protocol that will reduce methodological variation among researchers and encourage the use of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reproducible (FAIR) workflows to increase the ability to synthesise global datasets and answer a broad suite of ecological questions.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Electronic supplementary material 1: Map of study sites from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Figure S1: Map showing the sites where BRUVS were deployed. The blue pentagon indicates Aldinga Reef (S35.27360 E138.43265), the green triangle Long Spit (S34.56461 E138.22672), the orange square the Barge wreck (S34.52841 E138.06356), the red circle the Zanoni wreck (S34.51163 E138.06368) and the black diamond Near Zanoni (S34.51496 E138.08525)

Online Resource 3: Pairwise PERMANOVA results from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Table A3: Pairwise PERMANOVA tests of the Viewpoint factor for multivariate analysis of assemblages and univariate analysis of total individuals per viewpoint. Unique permutations ranged from 982-996

Electronic supplementary material 4: SIMPER results from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Table S4: SIMPER results showing the average similarity of assemblages from each site and the dominant taxa (in descending order) with their contribution to that overall site similarity

Electronic supplementary material 2: Species list from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Table S2: Presence of taxa at each site, with an X indicating at least one sighting, for species observed using 360° view BRUVS. Pseudocaranx spp. consisted of two similar co-occurring species, Pseudocaranx wrighti and Pseudocaranx georgianu

Online Resource 2: Species list from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Table A2: Presence of taxa at each site, with an X indicating at least one sighting, for species observed using 360° view BRUVS. Pseudocaranx spp. consisted of two similar co-occurring species, Pseudocaranx wrighti and Pseudocaranx georgianu

Online Resource 1: Map of study sites from What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video

Figure A1: Map showing the sites where BRUVS were deployed. The blue pentagon indicates Aldinga Reef (S35.27360 E138.43265), the green triangle Long Spit (S34.56461 E138.22672), the orange square the Barge wreck (S34.52841 E138.06356), the red circle the Zanoni wreck (S34.51163 E138.06368) and the black diamond Near Zanoni (S34.51496 E138.08525)

Effectiveness of novel fabrics to resist punctures and lacerations from white shark (Carcharodon carcharias): Implications to reduce injuries from shark bites.

Increases in the number of shark bites, along with increased media attention on shark-human interactions has led to growing interest in preventing injuries from shark bites through the use of personal mitigation measures. The leading cause of fatality from shark bite victims is blood loss; thus reducing haemorrhaging may provide additional time for a shark bite victim to be attended to by emergency services. Despite previous shark-proof suits being bulky and cumbersome, new technological advances in fabric has allowed the development of lightweight alternatives that can be incorporated onto traditional wetsuits. The ability for these fabrics to withstand shark bites has not been scientifically tested. In this report, we compared two types of recently developed protective fabrics that incorporated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre onto neoprene (SharkStop and ActionTX) and compared them to standard neoprene alternatives. We tested nine different fabric variants using three different tests, laboratory-based puncture and laceration tests, along with field-based trials involving white sharks Carcharodon carcharias. Field-based trials consisted of measuring C. carcharias bite force and quantifying damages to the new fabrics following a bite from 3-4 m total length C. carcharias. We found that SharkStop and ActionTX fabric variants were more resistant to puncture, laceration, and bites from C. carcharias. More force was required to puncture the new fabrics compared to control fabrics (laboratory-based tests), and cuts made to the new fabrics were smaller and shallower than those on standard neoprene for both types of test, i.e. laboratory and field tests. Our results showed that UHMWPE fibre increased the resistance of neoprene to shark bites. Although the use of UHMWPE fibre (e.g. SharkStop and ActionTX) may therefore reduce blood loss resulting from a shark bite, research is needed to assess if the reduction in damages to the fabrics extends to human tissues and decreased injuries

A multidisciplinary framework to assess the sustainability and acceptability of wildlife tourism operations

ABSTRACT Wildlife tourism is growing in popularity, diversity of target species, and type of tours. This presents difficulties for management policy that must balance the complex trade‐offs between conservation, animal welfare, and pragmatic concerns for tourist satisfaction and economic value. Here, we provide a widely applicable, multidisciplinary framework to assess the impacts of wildlife tourism focusing on industry tractability, socioeconomic values, and their effects on conservation, animal welfare, and ecosystem impacts. The framework accommodates and quantifies the complexity of factors influencing wildlife tourism management, including direct and indirect effects on target and nontarget species, and identifies priorities for future biological, socioeconomic, and cultural heritage research. When applied to white shark cage‐diving as a case study, the output demonstrates the utility of the framework for researchers, managers, and policy makers, and highlights the benefits of undertaking the assessment as an inclusive workshop to facilitate a more multidisciplinary assessment of wildlife tourism industries. The use of a universally applicable assessment framework will enable the identification of relevant factors to account for when managing wildlife tourism, provide an inventory of current knowledge, identify research needs, and semiquantitatively compare categories and target and nontarget species, leading to improved conservation outcomes for species and ecosystems