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Review
. 2024 Jun 25;14(13):1875.
doi: 10.3390/ani14131875.

Studying Chondrichthyans Using Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems: A Review

Francesco Luigi Leonetti  1 , Massimiliano Bottaro  2 , Gianni Giglio  1 , Emilio Sperone  1
Affiliations
Review

Studying Chondrichthyans Using Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems: A Review

Francesco Luigi Leonetti et al. Animals (Basel). .

Abstract

Cartilaginous fish face significant threats due to overfishing and slow reproductive rates, leading to rapid declines in their populations globally. Traditional capture-based surveys, while valuable for gathering ecological information, pose risks to the health and survival of these species. Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS) offer a non-invasive alternative, allowing for standardized surveys across various habitats with minimal disturbance to marine life. This study presents a comprehensive review of BRUVS applications in studying cartilaginous fish, examining 81 peer-reviewed papers spanning from 1990 to 2023. The analysis reveals a significant increase in BRUVS usage over the past three decades, particularly in Australia, South Africa, and Central America. The most common BRUVS configurations include benthic setups, mono-camera systems, and the use of fish from the Clupeidae and Scombridae families as bait. BRUVS have been instrumental in studying 195 chondrichthyan species, providing insights into up to thirteen different aspects of the life histories. Moreover, BRUVS facilitate the monitoring of endangered and data-deficient species, contributing crucial data for conservation efforts. Overall, this study underscores the value of BRUVS as a powerful tool for studying and conserving cartilaginous fish populations worldwide.

Keywords: BRUVS; cartilaginous fish; conservation; ecology; life history; underwater surveys.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Temporal distribution of the last 30 years of papers that used BRUVS to study Chondrichthyans worldwide.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Geographical distribution of the last 30 years of papers that used BRUVS to study Chondrichthyans worldwide.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Type of BRUVS: (a) benthic [11]; (b) deep-water drifting [35]; (c) mid-water or pelagic [83].
Figure 4
Figure 4
Type of bait used for arming BRUVS.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Temporal trend of the type of bait used for arming BRUVS. Bait categories are shown with different colors.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Topics studied in Chondrichthyans using BRUVS.
Figure 7
Figure 7
The temporal trend of the topics investigated using BRUVS (Movements (2020), Habitat use (2022) and Growth (2019) were not included in the graph since they had only 1 record).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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