http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/1010232
eng; USA
utf8
dataset
Highest level of data collection, from a common set of sensors or instrumentation, usually within the same research project
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
2026-10-19
ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - Metadata - Part 2: Extensions for Imagery and Gridded Data
ISO 19115-2:2009(E)
Body sizes of megafauna species at six sites during the COVID lockdown in the Galapagos Islands during 2020
2026-10-19
publication
2026-10-19
revision
BCO-DMO Linked Data URI
2026-10-19
creation
http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/1010232
Jon D. Witman
Brown University
principalInvestigator
Robert Lamb
Brown University
principalInvestigator
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
publisher
Cite this dataset as: Witman, J. D., Lamb, R. (2026) Body sizes of megafauna species at six sites during the COVID lockdown in the Galapagos Islands during 2020. Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO). (Version 1) Version Date 2026-10-19 [if applicable, indicate subset used]. http://lod.bco-dmo.org/id/dataset/1010232 [access date]
Methods and Sampling: <p>The marine megafauna were readily identified as either Galapagos sharks, White tip reef sharks, Black tip sharks, Scalloped hammerhead sharks, Galapagos Sea Lions or Giant manta rays from the GoPro 7 videos. As the extended duration video cameras were set up at 12-15 m depth, a diver stretched a meters tape perpendicular to the front of the camera and signaled the distances at meter intervals from 1 to 5 meters. This defined a sampling area to count and measure any of the 6 species passing through the video recorded space. Total body lengths of megafauna were estimated within 5 cm increments by comparing them to known size indicators in the videos.&nbsp; These data were collected by Drs Robert Lamb, Jon Witman and Franz Smith. Rebecca Ward-Diorio worked up the data from the GoPro files.&nbsp; The GoPro file names are provided for reference.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Species Code</th>
<th>Scientific Name</th>
<th>Common Name</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CAGA</td>
<td><em>Carcharhinus galapagensis</em></td>
<td>Galapagos shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TROB</td>
<td><em>Triaenodon obesus</em></td>
<td>White-tip reef shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CALI</td>
<td><em>Carcharhinus limbatus</em></td>
<td>Blacktip shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPLE</td>
<td><em>Sphyrna lewini</em></td>
<td>Scalloped hammerhead shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZACA</td>
<td><em>Zalophus wollebaeki</em></td>
<td>Galapagos sea lion</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TAME</td>
<td><em>Mobula birostris</em></td>
<td>Giant manta ray</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Site Name</th>
<th>Latitude</th>
<th>Longitude</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Baltra</td>
<td>-0.411553</td>
<td>-90.274449</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Champion</td>
<td>-1.236830</td>
<td>-90.384980</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Daphne</td>
<td>-0.394460</td>
<td>-90.353750</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gardner</td>
<td>-1.328790</td>
<td>-90.294290</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gordon</td>
<td>-0.565962</td>
<td>-90.140650</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seymour</td>
<td>-0.397600</td>
<td>-90.277000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Funding provided by NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) Award Number: OCE-2035354 Award URL: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award?AWD_ID=2035354
onGoing
Jon D. Witman
Brown University
401-863-3936
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Department Box G-W Brown University
Providence
RI
02912
USA
Jon_Witman@brown.edu
pointOfContact
Robert Lamb
Brown University
robert.lamb@ufl.edu
pointOfContact
asNeeded
Dataset Version: 1
Unknown
Video camera (MITECH)
theme
None, User defined
Underwater Camera
instrument
BCO-DMO Standard Instruments
otherRestrictions
otherRestrictions
Access Constraints: none. Use Constraints: Please follow guidelines at: http://www.bco-dmo.org/terms-use Distribution liability: Under no circumstances shall BCO-DMO be liable for any direct, incidental, special, consequential, indirect, or punitive damages that result from the use of, or the inability to use, the materials in this data submission. If you are dissatisfied with any materials in this data submission your sole and exclusive remedy is to discontinue use.
RAPID: Illuminating the effects of a COVID-19 elimination of diver disturbance on reef fish behavior, distribution and ecosystem functioning in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2035354&HistoricalAwards=false
RAPID: Illuminating the effects of a COVID-19 elimination of diver disturbance on reef fish behavior, distribution and ecosystem functioning in the Galapagos Marine Reserve
<p>Large-scale changes in the magnitude of human influence on the biosphere have occurred due to travel restrictions and quarantines to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. The reduction in the number of visits to natural areas is providing an unprecedented opportunity to study the effects of people on wildlife and ecosystems. Previous studies indicate that humans can impact the entire ecosystem by frightening animals and altering their behaviors. The COVID-19 quarantine has created a "natural experiment" in the ocean at scuba-diving destinations worldwide by suspending dive tourism and temporarily eliminating the effects of diver-induced fear in reef fish communities. In the Galapagos Islands, the number of scuba divers dropped from 18,000 divers a year to zero in March 2020 when the government of Ecuador halted dive tourism. This study is measuring the changes reef fish behavior, populations and ecological interactions between species to gain an understanding of how dive activity affects the functioning of this marine ecosystem. The effects of changes in diver disturbance are being determined by comparing reef fish communities during and after the quarantine to those from a long-term pre-COVID-19 baseline study. Broader impacts include training opportunities for undergraduate students through participation in field research and senior thesis projects. Public outreach is focused on presentations to the general public and high school students in the US and in the Galapagos. A YouTube video on the ecological effects of diving activity in the Galapagos Marine Reserve is being produced and made publicly available. Insights from this project is increasing awareness of how humans impact subtidal marine ecosystems, which is aiding marine conservation efforts of marine protected areas in the Galapagos and elsewhere.</p>
<p>The intellectual contribution of the research lies in its ability to test hypotheses about the role of humans in influencing consumptive and non-consumptive interactions in shaping the structure, complexity and functioning of marine ecosystems. While it is known that reef fish react to humans as potential predators, less is known about how the fear of predation, a major type of non-consumptive interaction, affects subtidal marine communities, particularly on large spatial scales relevant to conservation. An integrated, observational - experimental research program is addressing this knowledge gap in the Galapagos Marine Reserve by comparing current conditions with existing pre-COVID-19 data. Four hypotheses or predictions related to pandemic spillover effects are being tested: 1) diver disturbance results in behavioral shifts in reef fishes; 2) divers decrease the abundance and diversity of reef fishes and this effect is currently reduced; 3) emergence or increased abundance of previously wary herbivorous and /or predatory fish results in greater consumption of benthic organisms during and immediately after the COVID-19 period; and 4) decreased diver disturbance associated with the pandemic changes the complexity of behavioral networks (aggressive and positive interactions) among reef fish, sharks and sea lions. The hypotheses are being tested at 14 sites over the course of three research trips using underwater observations and experiments involving fish counts, video camera deployments to record fish behaviors, feeding rates, interactions between species and underwater boat noise from dive tour boats. This project has implications for understanding how fish communities in the Galapagos Marine Reserve ecosystem will respond to future perturbations, while also providing unique insight into the ecological ramifications of a human pandemic.</p>
<p>This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.</p>
Galapagos diver disturbance
largerWorkCitation
project
eng; USA
oceans
-90.68595
-90.14065
-1.32879
-0.236963
2020-10-10
2021-08-31
Galapagos Islands, Eastern Tropical Pacific
0
BCO-DMO catalogue of parameters from Body sizes of megafauna species at six sites during the COVID lockdown in the Galapagos Islands during 2020
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
GB/NERC/BODC > British Oceanographic Data Centre, Natural Environment Research Council, United Kingdom
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
https://osprey.bco-dmo.org/dataset/1010232/data/download
download
onLine
dataset
<p>The marine megafauna were readily identified as either Galapagos sharks, White tip reef sharks, Black tip sharks, Scalloped hammerhead sharks, Galapagos Sea Lions or Giant manta rays from the GoPro 7 videos. As the extended duration video cameras were set up at 12-15 m depth, a diver stretched a meters tape perpendicular to the front of the camera and signaled the distances at meter intervals from 1 to 5 meters. This defined a sampling area to count and measure any of the 6 species passing through the video recorded space. Total body lengths of megafauna were estimated within 5 cm increments by comparing them to known size indicators in the videos.&nbsp; These data were collected by Drs Robert Lamb, Jon Witman and Franz Smith. Rebecca Ward-Diorio worked up the data from the GoPro files.&nbsp; The GoPro file names are provided for reference.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Species Code</th>
<th>Scientific Name</th>
<th>Common Name</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>CAGA</td>
<td><em>Carcharhinus galapagensis</em></td>
<td>Galapagos shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TROB</td>
<td><em>Triaenodon obesus</em></td>
<td>White-tip reef shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CALI</td>
<td><em>Carcharhinus limbatus</em></td>
<td>Blacktip shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SPLE</td>
<td><em>Sphyrna lewini</em></td>
<td>Scalloped hammerhead shark</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>ZACA</td>
<td><em>Zalophus wollebaeki</em></td>
<td>Galapagos sea lion</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>TAME</td>
<td><em>Mobula birostris</em></td>
<td>Giant manta ray</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Site Name</th>
<th>Latitude</th>
<th>Longitude</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Baltra</td>
<td>-0.411553</td>
<td>-90.274449</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Champion</td>
<td>-1.236830</td>
<td>-90.384980</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Daphne</td>
<td>-0.394460</td>
<td>-90.353750</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gardner</td>
<td>-1.328790</td>
<td>-90.294290</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Gordon</td>
<td>-0.565962</td>
<td>-90.140650</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Seymour</td>
<td>-0.397600</td>
<td>-90.277000</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
<p>"No sophisticated methods of data processing" were noted by the dataset authors, "just counting and measuring from the videos".</p>
Specified by the Principal Investigator(s)
Curation Actions Performed on the data file
- A sub-table containing species details removed from primary data file and provided in the methods section of the metadata landing page for this dataset.
- Loaded data from “Marine Megafauna Sizes During COVID Lockdown, Galapagos.xlsx” and treated blank cells and “nd” as missing values.
- Removed the “KEY to Species Code” and “Common Name of Species” columns.
- Removed “cm” from values in the “Total body length (cm)” column.
- Renamed columns for consistency (“GoPro Video File name” → GoPro_Video_File_name, “Species Code” → Species_Code, “Total body length (cm)” → Total_body_length_cm)
- Saved the cleaned data as 1010232_v1_covid_galapagos_megafauna_sizes.csv.
Curation Actions Performed on metadata
- Corrections have been made to incorrect longitude values provided in the metadata (swapped positive for negative).
Known Issues (Potentially Impacting Reuse)
- Parameter details have not been provided with this dataset. Descriptions and units related to the columns and values of this dataset are unknown.
- Date column values contain dates with inconsistent formats.
- Dataset and metadata has not been validated by the dataset authors.
Specified by BCO-DMO Data Managers
asNeeded
7.x-1.1
Biological and Chemical Oceanography Data Management Office (BCO-DMO)
Unavailable
508-289-2009
WHOI MS#36
Woods Hole
MA
02543
USA
info@bco-dmo.org
http://www.bco-dmo.org
Monday - Friday 8:00am - 5:00pm
For questions regarding this resource, please contact BCO-DMO via the email address provided.
pointOfContact
Video camera (MITECH)
Video camera (MITECH)
PI Supplied Instrument Name: Video camera (MITECH) PI Supplied Instrument Description:Extended duration video camera manufactured by Marine Imaging Technologies (MITECH)
https://marineimagingtech.com/cameras-housings/housings/, these “action camera housings” were fabricated for this NSF project. Their features included a flat port, a chassis to mount a GoPro 7 camera and connections to a NiCad battery pack. One of these camera housings was mounted on a\n 80 cm tall stainless steel tripod placed in the rock bottom. Two systems were deployed at a time with one camera per site. The cameras recorded continuous video of the reef fish and megafauna for 6-8 hours per deployment. Instrument Name: Underwater Camera Instrument Short Name: Instrument Description: All types of photographic equipment that may be deployed underwater including stills, video, film and digital systems. Community Standard Description: http://vocab.nerc.ac.uk/collection/L05/current/180/