Video systems for in situ studies of zooplankton

A variety of survey instruments and systems designed for measuring the behavior of individual zooplankton have been built around video technology. Systems designed for studying behavior are already producing remarkable observations of biological interactions in situ. If the survey tools under development achieve their potential, they will surpass the spatial and temporal resolution of conventional sampling methods, reduce the amount of human effort required for data processing, and also collect taxonomic information that is not available from acoustic devices or the Optical Plankton Counter. This paper (i) describes a variety of video systems for studying zoo plankton in situ; (ii) discusses common design considerations and technical challenges; and (iii) compares the present and future capabilities of video devices with other methods of studying zooplankton in situ.