Wednesday November 20, 2024
PhysOrg —
For many researchers in biology and other natural sciences, dissecting specimens may not be desirable, though it is often necessary. This is because dissection means killing the animal a researcher is trying to study—a big issue, especially if the species is experiencing a population decline.
Over time, such concerns have led scientists to develop a number of non-invasive techniques, including video transects. This is a type of video recording used in marine biology, in which divers film along a line of fixed length and depth to record images for computer-assisted analysis, obtain permanent data that can be reassessed later and survey wider areas in shorter amounts of time.
In a study recently published in Marine Biology, Pieter Johnson, a University of Colorado Boulder professor of distinction in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and lead author Cheyenna de Wit of the University of Amsterdam demonstrate the benefits of recording rather than dissecting specimens.
In their paper on black spot syndrome in ocean surgeonfish, the researchers use video transects to measure the severity of the disease among thousands of fish and identify the environmental factors contributing to its distribution.