Table_8_A Standardized Workflow Based on the STAVIRO Unbaited Underwater Video System for Monitoring Fish and Habitat Essential Biodiversity Variables in Coastal Areas.DOCX

Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBV) related to benthic habitats and high trophic levels such as fish communities must be measured at fine scale but monitored and assessed at spatial scales that are relevant for policy and management actions. Local scales are important for assessing anthropogenic impacts, and conservation-related and fisheries management actions, while reporting on the conservation status of biodiversity to formulate national and international policies requires much broader scales. Measurements must account for the fact that coastal habitats and fish communities are heterogeneously distributed locally and at larger scales. Assessments based on in situ monitoring generally suffer from poor spatial replication and limited geographical coverage, which is challenging for area-wide assessments. Requirements for appropriate monitoring comprise cost-efficient and standardized observation protocols and data formats, spatially scalable and versatile data workflows, data that comply with the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles, while minimizing the environmental impact of measurements. This paper describes a standardized workflow based on remote underwater video that aims to assess fishes (at species and community levels) and habitat-related EBVs in coastal areas. This panoramic unbaited video technique was developed in 2007 to survey both fishes and benthic habitats in a cost-efficient manner, and with minimal effect on biodiversity. It can be deployed in areas where low underwater visibility is not a permanent or major limitation. The technique was consolidated and standardized and has been successfully used in varied settings over the last 12 years. We operationalized the EBV workflow by documenting the field protocol, survey design, image post-processing, EBV production and data curation. Applications of the workflow are illustrated here based on some 4,500 observations (fishes and benthic habitats) in the Pacific, Indian and Atlantic Oceans, and Mediterranean Sea. The STAVIRO’s proven track-record of utility and cost-effectiveness indicates that it should be considered by other researchers for future applications.

与底栖生境及鱼类群落等高级营养级相关的基本生物多样性变量（Essential Biodiversity Variables, EBV），需以精细尺度开展测量，并在匹配政策与管理行动需求的空间尺度上实施监测与评估。局部尺度是评估人为影响、推进保护相关工作及开展渔业管理的关键基础，而在制定国家及国际政策以汇报生物多样性保护现状时，则需要更为宽泛的空间尺度。测量工作必须充分考虑沿海生境与鱼类群落在局部及更大尺度上均呈异质性分布这一客观事实。基于原位监测的评估通常存在空间复现性不足、地理覆盖范围有限的问题，这给全域评估带来了显著挑战。适配性监测的核心要求包括：采用成本效益优良且标准化的观测方案与数据格式，搭建空间可扩展且多功能的数据工作流，使用符合FAIR（Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable）原则的数据，同时将测量活动对环境的影响降至最低。本文阐述了一套基于水下远程视频的标准化工作流，旨在评估沿海区域的鱼类（涵盖物种与群落两个层面）及与生境相关的EBV。该全景无诱饵视频技术于2007年研发，旨在以高成本效益的方式调查鱼类与底栖生境，且对生物多样性的干扰极小。其可部署于低水下能见度并非永久性或主要限制因素的区域。该技术经过整合与标准化优化，在过去12年间已在多种环境场景中成功应用。我们通过规范野外作业方案、调查设计、图像后处理、EBV生成及数据管理流程，实现了EBV工作流的落地实操。本文基于太平洋、印度洋、大西洋及地中海海域约4500份（鱼类与底栖生境）观测数据，对该工作流的实际应用进行了示例说明。STAVIRO技术已被证实具备优良的实用性与成本效益，因此建议其他研究者在未来的相关应用中考虑采用该技术。