Keywords
soft-bottom circalittoral
dredge sampling
camera dredge
video sledge
Adriatic Sea
How to Cite
Abstract
The study compared two approaches, sampling using a dredge and non-invasive video surveys using a camera dredge and a video sledge, for assessing soft-bottom epibenthic communities. Sampling was conducted over a detritic muddy-sandy bottom. Altogether171 taxa were identified, with only a small subset shared among all methods. Dredging yielded the highest number of taxa, particularly small, cryptic and sediment-associated, and provided biomass data. Conversely, video-based methods detected a lower number of taxa yet could detect more vagile species and could quantify some species like sponges. Video sledge surveys provided the most extensive coverage and the highest number of habitat and community parameters. The findings indicate that dredge and video-based methodologies yield complementary ecological insights, indicating that a combination of methods should be employed for the more comprehensive monitoring and assessment.
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