Underwater Video Techniques in Marine Biodiversity Assessment
Summary
Underwater video techniques have revolutionised the assessment of marine biodiversity by offering non-invasive, repeatable and high-resolution observations across a range of depths and habitats. Platforms vary from diver-operated systems that provide fine-scale surveys in shallow waters to remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) capable of exploring deep and complex environments. Stationary or drifting Remote Underwater Video (RUV) systems and Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) deployments attract and record fauna with minimal disturbance, while stereo-video configurations enable precise measurement of organism size and sample area. These methods generate permanent visual records that facilitate reanalysis, inter-study comparisons and integration with advanced image-analysis workflows, including machine learning for automated species identification. Key applications include quantifying community structure, monitoring habitat change, evaluating the impact of fisheries and informing conservation planning. Despite rapid uptake, heterogeneity in deployment protocols—such as camera orientation, soak time and bait type—remains a barrier to data comparability. Efforts to standardise methods and adopt internationally agreed guidelines are under way, promoting Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data practices. As marine ecosystems face escalating pressures from climate change, pollution and resource extraction, underwater video platforms will continue to play a central role in global biodiversity monitoring and management strategies.
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Underwater Video Techniques in Marine Biodiversity Assessment publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in underwater video techniques in marine biodiversity assessment across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV): Unmanned submersible equipped with cameras and sensors, controlled from a surface vessel to survey deep or inaccessible areas.
Remote Underwater Video (RUV): Stationary or drifting camera system deployed without direct human presence, often used to record natural behaviour over set periods.
Diver-Operated Video (DOV): Handheld or mounted camera system controlled by a diver, suited to fine-scale surveys in shallow and structurally complex habitats.
Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV): RUV system enhanced with bait to attract mobile fauna, increasing detection rates of demersal and carnivorous species.
Stereo-video: Dual-camera configuration calibrated to provide accurate three-dimensional measurements of organism size, distance and sample area.
Transect: Predefined linear path along which video surveys are conducted, allowing systematic sampling of community composition and density.
MaxN: Maximum number of individuals of a species observed in a single video frame, used to avoid overestimation from repeated counts.
References
- Benthic Observation Survey System (BOSS) for surveys of marine benthic habitats. Methods in Ecology and Evolution (2025).
- Monitoring marine fishes using underwater video techniques in the Mediterranean Sea. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries (2023).
- A field and video annotation guide for baited remote underwater stereo‐video surveys of demersal fish assemblages. Methods in Ecology and Evolution (2020).
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