In situ video monitoring of finfish diversity at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia

抄録

The significant economic benefits accruing from Western Australia’s expanding offshore oil and gas industry come with increasing risks and pressures to the marine environment. Ningaloo Reef, a marine biodiversity hotspot of global importance, requires effective monitoring of reef condition beyond ad hoc snapshots of biological, physical and chemical components. A long-term approach to monitoring should be underpinned by integrated, and preferably, continuous programs that develop comprehensive baselines for biodiversity assessment. Piercam is a system of remote underwater video cameras permanently installed under the Point Murat Navy Pier, which is located near Exmouth, within the Ningaloo Marine Park. The Piercam project has been operating since 2005 and has recorded and archived over 10,000 hours of underwater footage, with over 90% of all vision containing observable finfish activity. In addition to permanent recording, the footage is uploaded onto the World Wide Web, which enables real-time analysis by students from Curtin University’s Coastal Zone Management program. To date, 165 fish species from 50 families have been positively identified. Current investigations are focussing on the determination of suitable indicator species for Ningaloo Reef, in addition to the identification of species at risk, like the vulnerable grey nurse shark (Carcharius taurus), which has been repeatedly observed by Piercam over successive years.