A diverse and abundant fish assemblage revealed using SharkCam underwater video off Cape Fear, North Carolina
Presentation Type
Event
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Erin Burge
Major
Marine Science
Presentation Abstract
SharkCam is a publicly accessible, underwater streaming webcam installed on the base of Frying Pan Tower, 60 km off the coast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. The camera is attached near the bottom in 15 m of water and surveys an expansive area of natural hard-bottom reef and anthropogenic debris rich in marine biodiversity. We have so far identified 113 species of fish that frequent the area, including 8 species of sharks. From over 800 video segments of 20 minutes each we have compiled approximately 12,000 occurrence records for 91 species of fishes. These records are being used to characterize the fish assemblage in terms of frequency of occurrence, seasonality, relative abundance (for 59 species), and environmental correlates. These observations will help describe fish community structure at Frying Pan Tower within the larger ecosystem and contribute to knowledge of diversity and abundance within the wider biogeographic region.
Course
MSCI399Q Fish Community Monitoring
External Presentation
1
Location
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
Start Date
16-4-2019 12:30 PM
End Date
16-4-2019 2:30 PM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Pollack, Jessica; Saupe, Faith; Coleman, Nick; and Burge, Erin J., "A diverse and abundant fish assemblage revealed using SharkCam underwater video off Cape Fear, North Carolina" (2019). Undergraduate Research Competition. 38.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2019/poster/38
A diverse and abundant fish assemblage revealed using SharkCam underwater video off Cape Fear, North Carolina
Lib Jackson Student Union, Atrium
SharkCam is a publicly accessible, underwater streaming webcam installed on the base of Frying Pan Tower, 60 km off the coast of Cape Fear, North Carolina. The camera is attached near the bottom in 15 m of water and surveys an expansive area of natural hard-bottom reef and anthropogenic debris rich in marine biodiversity. We have so far identified 113 species of fish that frequent the area, including 8 species of sharks. From over 800 video segments of 20 minutes each we have compiled approximately 12,000 occurrence records for 91 species of fishes. These records are being used to characterize the fish assemblage in terms of frequency of occurrence, seasonality, relative abundance (for 59 species), and environmental correlates. These observations will help describe fish community structure at Frying Pan Tower within the larger ecosystem and contribute to knowledge of diversity and abundance within the wider biogeographic region.