The drones are coming

This study investigates the usage of underwater drones for assessing the impact of demersal towed fishing gear on seabed habitats in Jammer Bay, Skagerrak. The advancements in underwater drones, combined with rapid developments in image and video analysis software, are making these tools increasingly useful in marine research. Deploying an underwater drone in Jammer Bay provided videos of the seabed, facilitating habitat differentiation and taxa annotation. Stone reefs were more pronounced, while sandy habitats tended to blend with the turbid water. Faunal differences between habitats were also observed, with epifauna more visible on sandy substrates and more hidden in stone reefs. Ongoing software and machine learning advancements hold promise for habitat and species recognition but require substantial data for effective model training. Despite its high potential, it showed limited suitability in high-current waters and difficulties in obtaining high-resolution data in turbid conditions. This study shows the potential of underwater drones in seabed mapping and can enhance marine research and management.