Adapting cutting-edge remote video systems for monitoring fish assemblages in a Latin American developing country

PABLO JAVIER MERLO

Congreso; Festival of Ecology 2020; 2020

The vast literature on the use of Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUVs) for monitoring fish species is mostly biased to developed countries. The main goal of this work is to setting-up an affordable BRUVs sampling protocol in northern Patagonia, Argentina, a developing country in Latin America. Non-destructive BRUVs surveys will be used to estimate the composition, relative abundance, and the seasonal and spatial distribution of fish assemblages. Preliminary results confirm the effectiveness of single-camera BRUVs to detect a wide range of fish species (including highly threatened species as sharks and long-sized bony fishes) in different habitats and environmental conditions. On the other hand, sampling challenges poorly taken into account in literature such as water turbidity are relevant here. These aspects highlight the importance of optimizing BRUVs surveys design for local environmental conditions and will be combined with economic considerations to determine the most accurate and cost-effective BRUVs sampling protocol.