Deep-sea megabenthos of the Eurasian Central Arctic based on image analysis.

Photographic surveys were carried out during the expedition ARK-XXVII/3 in summer 2012 (2 August-29 September) in the Nansen and Amundsen Basins for the first time in deep-sea areas previously fully covered by ice. Seafloor was photographed using a towed Ocean Floor Observation System (OFOS). Nine stations separated from each other by 52–689 nautical miles distance (one transect per station) were performed: four in the Nansen Basin (1,2,3,9) at depths 3571–4066 m, and five in the Amundsen
Basin (4,5,6,7,8) at depths 4041–4384 m. Stations 1–5 were situated closer to the marginal ice zone and were characterized by first-year sea ice, whereas stations 7–9 were situated at some distance from the ice edge and were characterized
by multiyear ice. Station 6 was somewhat closer to the ice edge in 2012 than
in any previous year. Total analysed area of the seafloor comprised 16190 m2. Length of transects varied from 210 m to 5500 m.Agassiz trawl samples (frame width 3m, mesh size 2cm) were taken in the immediate vicinity of the photographic transects to obtain specimens for verification of taxonomic identifications based on images.All images were analysed and stored using the image analysis program and database BIIGLE
(Bio-Image Indexing, Graphic Labelling, and Exploration) web-2.0 (www.BIIGLE.de). All taxa were labelled in BIIGLE by species/feature name selected from a drop-down list. Visible megafauna was counted and identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level. Taxonomic identifications were made with the assistance of zoological experts. Laser points were automatically enhanced by BIIGLE software, and used for calculation of the seafloor surface area on images in an automated way using a BIIGLE subroutine.

在2012年夏季的ARK-XXVII/3考察活动中，首次于覆盖有厚冰的深海区域进行了摄影调查，考察时间自8月2日至9月29日。在纳森海盆和阿蒙森海盆，对海底进行了使用牵引式海底观测系统（OFOS）的摄影。共设置了九个站点，彼此相隔52至689海里（每个站点一个横断面），其中四个位于纳森海盆（1、2、3、9号站）深度介于3571至4066米之间，五个位于阿蒙森海盆（4、5、6、7、8号站）深度介于4041至4384米之间。1至5号站位于近海冰缘区域，具有初级海冰特征，而7至9号站位于冰缘之外一段距离，具有多年海冰特征。6号站2012年相对于往年更接近冰缘。海底分析总面积达16190平方米。横断面长度介于210米至5500米之间。在摄影横断面附近立即采集了Agassiz拖网样本（框架宽度3米，网目尺寸2厘米），以获取样本，基于图像进行物种鉴定验证。所有图像均采用图像分析程序和数据库BIIGLE（生物图像索引、图形标注和探索）web-2.0（www.BIIGLE.de）进行分析和存储。所有物种均在BIIGLE中通过下拉列表选定的物种/特征名称进行标注。可观察的大型海洋生物数量被统计，并鉴定至最低的分类学级别。分类学鉴定在动物学专家的协助下完成。BIIGLE软件自动增强激光点，并利用BIIGLE子程序以自动化方式在图像上计算海底表面积。