Dolphin Head and North East of Farnes Deep offshore survey (Blog #2): BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video) footage
The Joint Nature Conservation Committee releases incredible underwater footage captured by a baited remote underwater video system (BRUVS), a similar technology to Blue Abacus, the system used by BRUVS Monaco, a project for the surveying of Mediterranean marine biodiversity. BRUVS Monaco is supported by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, Community Jameel, the Monégasque Association for the Protection of Nature and Blue Abacus. The project is the first of its kind to monitor marine life health and biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea.
Find out the latest from our offshore survey team. In their second blog post on their survey to the Dolphin Head and North east of Farnes Deep HPMAs, being undertaken in collaboration with colleagues from the Marine Institute of Ireland, they tell us about the work they've been doing with a BRUV (Baited Remote Underwater Video).
Firstly, what is a BRUV? BRUV stands for Baited Remote Underwater Video and BRUVS can come in many shapes and sizes. Their use can help build a better understanding of the local marine life.
The BRUVs we are using on this survey have a camera system which you can lower to the seabed and leave to collect footage for a set amount of time. For this survey we are leaving the BRUVs for one hour. The BRUVs have underwater lights and two Go Pro 9 cameras in underwater cases that record life on or near the seabed. A bait box helps to lure any mobile marine life in the vicinity towards the cameras. The bait box is filled with fish (we have gone for herring, but you can use other bait). Marine life are lured to the cameras by the smell of the fish. After an hour, the BRUVs are recovered and brought back to the boat, the video footage is downloaded and the scientists on board can check out what marine life has come to investigate the bait.