Error and precision of deep-sea photogrammetric methods

The effects of climate change are well studied in oceanic surface waters and coastal areas, however, impacts are least known for the deep-sea. The Station M time series data set has been collected for 26 years to examine the effect of climate change on the deep-sea carbon cycle. As part of the time series, measurements of animal body size are gathered to calculate biomass and respiration rates. This is important to better define the role of deep-seafloor animals in the deep-sea carbon cycle. Measurements of deep-sea animals at Station M are made from Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) video footage using paired lasers and laser measurement algorithms. In this study ROV video data of a calibration target were collected at 4000 m and analyzed to quantify the effect of length and angle on measurement error. This data was used to develop a correction factor that can be used to achieve more accurate measurements of epibenthic megafauna.