EOP CRITTERCAM Deployments on French Frigate Shoals monk seals

CRITTERCAMs, were deployed on a 42 monk seals at French Frigate Shoals Hawaii. Sixty nine hours of video comprised of 3192 recording segments collected at standardized intervals. Dive depths of the seal were digitally logged every 10 seconds throughout the camera deployment. The video cameras were programmed to record images and sound for 6 min each daylight hour (1.5 min were recorded every 15 min or 3 min every 30 min). Assuming the seals remained at sea continuously the tape recorded a fixed sampling of their activities for the duration of the tape cartridge. A conductivity and depth switch (<1 m) was used to stop sampling when the seal was on the beach or at the surface resting to maximize collection of images of the seals foraging on the bottom. Five seals were fitted with night vision CRITTERCAMs and the sampling was limited to evening hours only. The night vision systems were able to ?see? the bottom area extending 3 meters in front of the seal. Most of the deployments were made on adult males but 9 deployments were made on juveniles including males and females.

Result of a collaborative project between PIFSC and National Geographic Mission Programs. The NG CRITTERCAMS were used on FFS monk seals to identify important foraging habitat, additional prey items and the degree of competition between seals and other apex predators.

Research Papers produced from this data include:

Parrish FP, Craig MP, Ragen TJ, Marshall GJ, Buhleier BM (2000) Identifying diurnal

Foraging habitat of the endangered Hawaiian monk seals using a seal-mounted video

camera. Mar Mamm Sci 16:392-412

Parrish FP, Abernathy K, Marshall GJ, Buhleier BM (2002) Hawaiian monk seals (Monachus schauinslandi) foraging in deep-water coral beds. Mar Mamm Sci 18:244-258

Littnan CL, Baker JD, Parrish FA, Marshall GJ (2004) Effects of video camera attachment on the

foraging behavior of immature Hawaiian monk seals. Mar Mamm Sci 20:345-352.

Parrish FA, Marshall GJ, Littnan CL, Heithaus M, Canja S, Becker B, Braun R, Antonelis GA

(2005) Foraging of juvenile monk seals at French Frigate Shoals, Hawaii. Mar Mamm Sci 21:93-107

Division: Ecosystem and Sciences

Program: Ecosystems and Oceanography

Ownership: PIFSC owns the data, National Geographic Mission Programs owns the images - use of images has to be cleared with National Geographic Mission Programs

Study Area: French Frigate Shoals

Spatial Resolution: Habitat by depth range, atoll lagoon, atoll terrace, bank summit, subphotic

Temporal Resolution: Deployment duration between 1 and 7 days

Frequency of Collection: 1995 (8 adults instrumented), 1996 (7 adults ), 1997 (10 adults), 1998 (6 adults), 2002 (9 juveniles and 1 adult)

Time of Collection: 1995 (Oct/Nov-daytime), 1996 (Aug- daytime), 1997 (Aug-daytime), 1998 (July-night time), 2002(July/Aug-daytime)

Types of Data Collected: Video images from a forward facing camera mounted on a monk seal. Some Time depth temperature recordings. All the video images have been scored into a relational data base. Field include: time, depth m, habitat type, location (e.g. atoll ocean bank), activity of seal, time transiting along the bottom, number of bottom probes the seal make, no. prey captured, type of predators seen, no. predators, interaction of predatos, vocalizations by the seal.

Collection Method: Put the camera on the seal and then pull it off once it come back to the beach

Recording Media: Hi 8 video, Mini DV

Storage Location: Video and punched data stored at PIFSC. Video also stored at National Geographic, Punched data and code sheet is also on file in the PIFSC Data department.

Storage Media / Format: Video tape, digital files, paper logs

Update Schedule: As needed

1845 Wasp Boulevard, Building 176

Video collected on a National Geographic "Crittercam" which provided a systematic video sampling of the animal it is attached to. Part of the instrument is the data package that records time, depth, and temperature. Sampling was primarily during the day but a few deployments had night vision cameras.

Video images from a forward facing camera mounted on a monk seal. Some Time depth temperature recordings. All the video images have been scored into a relational data base. Field include: time, depth m, habitat type, location (e.g. atoll ocean bank), activity of seal, time transiting along the bottom, number of bottom probes the seal make, no. prey captured, type of predators seen, no. predators, interaction of predators, vocalizations by the seal.

ID interval seconds in 24h clock.

There is a Read Me file that explains the data fields.

Contact Frank Parrish (frank.parrish@noaa.gov)

Use of images has to be cleared with National Geographic Missions Program

Video was reviewed and scored with checks made by comparing the video images to the digital data files, the environment seen in the video, and VHF tag surveillance conducted across French Frigate Shoals.

Not a continuous data set so it ends in 2002. Predates PARR.

The video images are the property of National Geographic. The data derived from them are in a relational database. Awaiting a Center URL.

Data on file in the Center's data storage library

PIFSC ITS performs scheduled back-ups

Video segments collected by duty cycle were viewed and scored, and when available, were compared with depth and time data loggers. From the video the Hawaiian monk seal's activity was recorded, prey and competitors identified, general location and habitat noted.