BRUVS: Fish and Benthic Survey of Timor Sea CMR, 2012

1465 individuals from 85 species of fishes, sharks, rays, and sea snakes were observed using 47 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS) in the Timor Sea CMR. The dataset includes 504 images and records habitat classification, species identity with CAAB codes, arrival times, behavior, maturity, and relative abundance metrics like MaxN. A custom Microsoft Access interface was developed by AIMS staff for reading and analyzing the BRUVS tapes.

Use Cases

• Modeling species abundance and distribution based on MaxN (maximum number visible at one time) and arrival time data.
• Analyzing fish feeding behavior based on the 8 recorded behavior categories, including bait interaction.
• Classifying benthic habitat types based on recorded topography, sediment, and benthos observations.
• Studying population demographics by comparing adult and juvenile maturity records across species.

Strengths

• Includes 1465 individual observations from 85 distinct species.
• Data collection is standardized using 47 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).
• Records multiple ecological dimensions: species identity, behavior, maturity, habitat, and relative abundance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the single Timor Sea CMR survey location.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Observations from 47 baited remote underwater video stations (BRUVS).

Time Range

2012-09-12 to 2012-10-06

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-18 18:51:30.059557; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Timor Sea CMR (Commonwealth Marine Reserve)