A simple time-lapse apparatus for monitoring macrozoobenthos activity in Antarctica

In situ time-lapse studies in Polar Regions are uncommon because of the intrinsic limitations of scientific SCUBA diving at sub-zero temperatures and the logistical challenges linked to the deployment of underwater time-lapse systems, which are typically large and heavy. In Antarctica, a number of non-invasive approaches have been adopted to document the behaviour of benthic organisms. For example, in the McMurdo Sound, Ross Sea, Kim et al. (2007) employed time-lapse arrays to study the movement of sea-stars Odontaster validus Koehler in response to organic enrichment, and McClintock et al. (2010) recorded valve clap frequency in scallops Adamussium colbecki (E.A. Smith). At King George Island, Antarctic Peninsula, Schories (unpublished, https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=rKV8s00SFL8) conducted a time-lapse analysis (6 hours) of limpet Nacella concinna (Strebel) and sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri (Meissner) movement. Here we present a simple and portable time-lapse apparatus, which was tested in TerraNova Bay, Ross Sea, at a depth of 20m below the pack ice.