Towed Video deployments to address strategic knowledge gaps in the Oceanic Shoals bioregion 2014, Western Australia (AIMS)

Towed video surveys between were carried out in targeted shallow seabed environments within and adjacent to the proposed Oceanic Shoals Commonwealth Marine Reserve (CMR) in the Timor Sea. The survey concentrated on shelf habitats (< 200m) of the Oceanic Shoals CMR and included potential biodiversity hotspots such as pinnacles, banks and shoals. In total, 48 towed video transects were collected at depths of between 17.2 and 89 metres. Sampling involved habitat classification, conducted in real-time during the surveys, and taking downward and forward facing photographic still images at 5 second intervals for subsequent analysis. The cameras were towed across the shoals at a speed of 0.5 - 1.5 knots at an altitude of 0.5 - 2 metres above the seabed.

The survey was undertaken by the Australian Institute of Marine Science between May 8 and May 16 2014 on the AIMS Research Vessel, RV Solander, and aimed to address strategic knowledge gaps in the Oceanic Shoals bioregion.

本研究在帝汶海拟建大洋浅滩联邦海洋保护区（Commonwealth Marine Reserve, CMR）及其邻近区域的目标浅海海底环境中开展了拖曳视频调查（towed video surveys）。本次调查聚焦于大洋浅滩联邦海洋保护区的陆架生境（shelf habitats，水深<200米），覆盖了尖锥（pinnacles）、沙洲（banks）及浅滩（shoals）等潜在生物多样性热点区域（biodiversity hotspots）。本次调查共采集了48条拖曳视频样带（towed video transects），采样水深介于17.2至89米之间。采样工作包含调查期间实时开展的生境分类，以及每隔5秒拍摄俯视（downward facing）与前视（forward facing）静态摄影图像，用于后续分析。摄像机以0.5至1.5节（knots）的航速在浅滩上方拖曳，距海底高度为0.5至2米。

本次调查由澳大利亚海洋科学研究所（Australian Institute of Marine Science, AIMS）于2014年5月8日至5月16日期间，在其“索兰德号”（RV Solander）研究船上开展，旨在填补大洋浅滩生物地理区（bioregion）的战略知识空白。