CATAIN: An underwater camera system for studying settlement in fouling communities at high temporal resolution

Abstract

AbstractAt present, studies on settlement in marine fouling communities are limited to easily accessible habitats that can be monitored on a daily basis. There are large knowledge gaps regarding settlement patterns on sub‐daily temporal scales and in remote areas. In order to fill these knowledge gaps, we have designed an underwater camera system named CATAIN—CAmera To Analyze INvertebrates—and have compared our approach to standard methods. The key innovation of CATAIN is that the acrylic endcap of the housing serves as the fouling panel itself, with organisms being photographed through the transparent endcap from the underside. This set‐up circumvents the common problem of biofouling on camera housings. Using this system, researchers can record high‐resolution images of sessile benthic invertebrates and macroalgae at time intervals ranging from just a few minutes to several days and for months to a year at a time. CATAIN enables studies on temporal patterns in settlement, postsettlement mortality, growth, and other ecological parameters with no human intervention. This system expands sampling possibilities in remote environments where it is impractical for a researcher to be present every day.