Poster: Collecting HD Video and Automating Area Swept Calculations for Small ROV Based Surveys

A non-lethal alternative used to sample untrawlable habitats that has gained increased attention in recent years is the method of in-situ visual surveys of the seafloor, typically conducted by remotely operated vehicle (ROV) or by occupied submersible. Video technology from an ROV has the advantage over observation data collected from occupied submersible of reproducibility (video records may be reviewed repeatedly by multiple observers after the survey for repeat fish counts), however the limitations of video imagery can result in higher percentages of unidentified species.  Both techniques typically require a substantial amount of post-survey analysis time to quantify the area-swept and fish counts measures which are required to compute fish density estimates.  This poster briefly describes a system developed by the Washington Department of Fish that collects HD video quality and automates the process of estimating area swept.  The system was specifically designed to operate on small ROV platforms that lack fiber optic cables necessary for HD quality video data transmission and recording.