Towed video surveys of the Davis Strait deep-sea marine environment: investigating the behaviour of mobile demersal species

The deep-sea Arctic environment presents a demanding habitat to evaluate. This region has unique and highly specialized species. Understanding their baseline behavioural tendencies is essential to determine how these species will react to a changing environment and monitoring methods. A proven method to collect baseline information is video technology. I compared and critiqued five types of technology: a drop camera, a Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) system, a camera sled, a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), and an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). I analyzed footage collected by two video technologies, a towed video sled and a BRUV, for fish behaviour, orientation, assemblage, and vertical structure association. Results focused on Coryphaenoides rupestris (Roundnose grenadier), Macrourus berglax (Roughhead Grenadier), Synaphobranchus kaupii (Kaup's arrowtooth eel), Antimora rostrata (Blue Hake) and Family Myctophidae (lanternfishes). I created behavioural analysis trees to relate species' behaviour and orientation. I determined that behavioural traits displayed by species were likely correlated with life history traits. None of the species analyzed displayed a strong affinity for vertical structure. Overall, the towed video sled and BRUV were valuable tools for information collection. This research is expected to expand the foundation of baseline information available for mobile demersal species in the Davis Strait region.