At the D’Arros Research Centre, they use many tools in several ways to monitor species in the ocean. One of them is the popular BRUVS, Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems.

BRUVS comprises camera systems mounted on a frame with bait to attract marine animals. These camera systems are attached to a buoy at the surface so we can easily see and retrieve them. The cameras record what is in their field of view and the videos then enable scientists to study the diversity and abundance of observed species. A stereo camera system with two cameras can help measure species such are large fish and sharks and assess biomass.

There are two types of deployment.
Benthic BRUVS sit at the bottom of the seafloor, mostly in shallow areas, to study the benthic environment. The deployment time is 1 hour. Here we can observe many reef fish, sharks and other bottom dwelling animals.

Pelagic BRUVS on the other hand are suspended from the surface in the pelagic environment. This form of deployment differs in a few ways when compared to the benthic BRUVS. Instead of only 1 rig, 5 rigs are interconnected, and the last one is attached to the boat. The deployment time for these is two hours. With pelagic BRUVS we can observe pelagic species that are otherwise very difficult to observe, such as the shortfin mako or silky shark.

BRUVS are great tools that are being used by many organizations in Seychelles, providing non-invasive ways to study the species.

🎥: @dillyseychelles with @ams.sez, @nico_fassbender, @msmarinescientist , @robwbullock and @miss_tropics for ‪@saveourseas‬

For more information, follow the D'Arros Research Centre on Instagram: www.instagram.com/darrosresearchcentre/

#saveourseas #saveourseasfoundation #bruvs #marine #monitoring #technology #reef #pelagic #sharks #habitat #elasmobranchs #marinescience