Standard Operating Procedures (4.3): Fish Cameras – Baited Remote Underwater Video

Defining the fish assemblage of a wetland can be difficult, due to the highly mobile nature of the fauna. Characterizing wetland fish assemblages is often a primary goal of monitoring efforts, but besides the mobility, there are often inherent biases associated with sampling methodologies. Therefore, it is often advantageous to use a variety of methodologies to characterize the fish communities as fully as possible.

The primary purpose of this sampling method is to quantitatively assess the distribution, relative abundances, species richness, and diversity of fish in intertidal or subtidal wetland habitats using cameras. Fish cameras are a potentially useful addition to many sampling programs and can be co-deployed with stationary gear such as minnow traps.

Prepared for the United States Environmental Protection Agency.