Monitoring the Kelp Ecosystem PDF
Document Details
Uploaded by CheaperNovaculite992
University of Reading
Mark
Tags
Summary
This presentation discusses monitoring projects for the kelp ecosystem in South Africa. Various methods like roving diver surveys and BRUV deployments are used to collect data. The presentation also explores the importance of kelp forests and the potential implications of factors like sea urchin populations.
Full Transcript
Monitoring the Kelp Ecosystem Projects of Cape RADD The Great African Sea Forest Monitoring Projects 1. Roving Diver Teleost Survey 2. Baited Remote Underwater Video’s 3. Kelp Distribution and density monitoring 4. Urchin Barren monitoring 5. Macroinvertebrate survey 6. Nudibra...
Monitoring the Kelp Ecosystem Projects of Cape RADD The Great African Sea Forest Monitoring Projects 1. Roving Diver Teleost Survey 2. Baited Remote Underwater Video’s 3. Kelp Distribution and density monitoring 4. Urchin Barren monitoring 5. Macroinvertebrate survey 6. Nudibranch survey 7. Egg case predation and attachment monitoring 8. Marine Debris and microplastic monitoring 9. Rocky Shore monitoring Monitoring Projects 1. Roving Diver Teleost Survey 2. Baited Remote Underwater Video’s 3. Kelp Distribution and density monitoring 4. Urchin Barren monitoring 5. Macroinvertebrate survey 6. Nudibranch survey 7. Egg case predation and attachment monitoring 8. Marine Debris and microplastic monitoring 9. Rocky Shore monitoring Roving Diver Teleost Survey Divers swim freely throughout a dive site and record every observed fish species that can be positively identified. At the conclusion of each survey, each recorded species is assigned one of four abundance categories based on how many were seen throughout the dive: Long Beach Windmill Beach A-Frame Millers Point Castle Rock Do MPA’s work in this area? Biodiversity hotspot Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) A BRUV is a device that marine biologists use to compare species diversity and abundance between sites. It is a rig with a camera and a bait canister. Quite easy to construct and to operate, and relatively inexpensive. Video Video Data Analysis - Get a list of all the species in an area. - We can measure abundance by looking at the maximum number of individuals in a frame MaxN. – This data can help us see spillover effects from marine protected areas. BRUV deployments Kelp Forest monitoring The Great African Sea Forest along the West and South Coast of SA, is both ecologically and commercially important. Hosts as many species as tropical rain forests. Creates protected refuge sites for growing fish. Pulls in nutrients from industry and waste outflows. Also absorbs CO2. Harvested for bioproducts. Kelp/Seaweeds are used to make: Biostimulants Liquid fertilisers Animal feed additives Pet foods Methane-reducing additives Alternative proteins Bioplastics Fabrics Pharmaceuticals Construction materials Kelp Density and Boundaries Urchin Barren monitoring Sea urchins are herbivores which eat kelp. Changing community structure due to overfishing, climate change etc could influence sea urchin abundance. An increase in sea urchin density in other parts of the world have greatly affected kelp forest distributions. Not a big problem here, however, it is always good to keep track so that if there ever is a shift, we can act as an early warning system. Urchin Barren monitoring Monitoring Projects 1. Roving Diver Teleost Survey 2. Baited Remote Underwater Video’s 3. Kelp Distribution and density monitoring 4. Macroinvertebrate survey 5. Nudibranch survey 6. Egg case predation and attachment monitoring 7. Urchin Barren monitoring 8. Marine Debris and microplastic monitoring 9. Rocky Shore monitoring Macroinvertebrate Survey Nudibranch Survey Egg case attachment and predation Marine Debris Monitoring Rocky Shore monitoring Thank You Any Questions?
