Towed video (C-BASS) based density estimates for reef fishes between 30-200 m of depth along pipelines, on unconsolidated substrates (mud/sand), and hard bottom structures throughout the Gulf of Mexico 2018-04-27 to 2020-01-16

This dataset includes time/date=stamped, geo-referenced raw counts, and corresponding density estimates, of reef fishes along randomly selected transects throughout the northern Gulf of Mexico within 30 to 200 meters of water. These counts are based on video footage collected using the towed video camera system, C-BASS. The transects mainly focused on pipeline infrastructure but also sampled unconsolidated mineral substrates (sand/mud) and select hardbottom areas. A total of 6 cameras (four forward-facing, two side-facing) were recording but fish data analyses were only performed on the video from the highest-quality, forward-facing camera. CMECS-based habitat analyses were also performed in 15-second intervals for corresponding, detailed bottom characterization to supplement the fish counts/density.