Monitoring of pelagic fauna of the seamounts of the Colombian Pacific using BRUVS

Abstract

In December 2021, we conducted the first expedition to the seamounts of the Malpelo and Yuruparí ridges. Eight seamounts were explored using Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS). A total of 48 BRUVS were deployed, registering five pelagic species (Sphyrna lewini, Mobula birostris, Pteroplatytrygon violacea, Kajikia audax and Istiophorus platypterus) where Pteroplatytrygon violacea constituted a new record for the region. Pelagic species were recorded in all seamounts, although sharks were exclusively associated with the seamounts to the west of the ridges, especially in the area known as Bajo Navegador, the shallowest seamount in the region. This work is a first step to guide the following explorations of these ecosystems.