Using Stereo-Video for Deep Water Benthic Habitat Surveys

Towed body systems of various configurations have been used for many years to map the seabed. Prior to the last several years, single video camera systems were widely used to gather qualitative data, or collect often low-accuracy quantitative data using laser dot patterns projected into the field of view. The introduction of stereo-video systems has enabled the capture of accurate and reliable spatial information with estimates of accuracy and precision. CSIRO has recently adopted stereo-video on a towed body system used for habitat mapping and biodiversity survey work in the deep ocean (100 to 2,000 m depths). This paper provides an overview of the research context, describes the towed body system, and reports on the addition of stereo-video to the system and the status of ongoing developments in the project. Applications of the system to managing marine biological resources are illustrated using examples from surveys undertaken recently off Southeast Australia.