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Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute-2000
Entry ID: MBARI_VARS_2000

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Summary

Abstract: The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) uses high-resolution video equipment to record hundreds of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives per year. In the first 20 years of ROV diving since 1988, over 16,000 hours of video tapes have been archived and managed as a centralized institutional resource. This unique video library contains footage of the biological, chemical, geological, and physical aspects of the Monterey Bay submarine canyon and other areas including the Pacific Northwest, Santa Barbara basin, Central California seamounts, Northern California, Oregon, Hawaii, and the Gulf of California. MBARI has developed a software and hardware system, Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS), to facilitate the creation, storage, and retrieval of video annotations based on ROV dive tapes. The VARS components reference a knowledge database of over 4,000 biological concepts as well as relevant descriptive, geological and technical terms. This hierarchical information allows for consistent and rapid classification, description, and complex querying of objects observed on video. Over three million observations, along with ancillary data from the time of collection, exist in this database.

After decades of collecting, cataloguing, and analyzing these data MBARI has amassed a unique, visual time series that supports a growing number of internal and external research publications and projects. The resulting database represents an evolution of knowledge and serves as a tool for studying descriptive and quantitative attributes of the ocean environment and ultimately measuring biodiversity deep in the Monterey Bay and extended regions of study. Recognizing the intellectual value of the extensive collection of the video captured by ROVs, MBARI continues to develop applications for internal and public access to this video database.

Related URL

Link: GET DATA

Link: VIEW PROJECT HOME PAGE

Geographic Coverage

N: 45.936 S: 34.154 E: -119.916 W: -130.436

Data Set Citation

Dataset Originator/Creator: Nancy Jacobsen Stout, Linda Kuhnz, Lonny Lundsten, Kyra Schlining, Susan von Thun
Dataset Title: Video Annotation and Reference System (VARS) database
Dataset Series Name: Year 2000
Dataset Release Date: 2002
Dataset Release Place: Moss Landing, California USA
Dataset Publisher: Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Data Presentation Form: Database
Other Citation Details: http://www.mbari.org/vars
Online Resource: http://obisusa.nbii.gov

Location Keywords

OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN
OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > MONTEREY BAY

ISO Topic Category

BIOTA
OCEANS

Platform

SHIPS [Information]

ROV >Remotely Operated Vehicles [Information]

Instrument

VIDEO CAMERA [Information]

CAMERA

Project

ESIP >Earth Science Information Partners Program [Information]

VARS >Video Annotation and Reference System [Information]

Quality

This data set has been used extensively for over 20 years by multiple researchers, both internal and external to MBARI, and has resulted in over 200 peer-reviewed publications thus far as well as countless exploratory, educational and public outreach projects.

Use Constraints

IMPORTANT Notes Regarding Data

Data Use Policy:
MBARI provides these data "as is", with no warranty, express or implied, of the data quality or consistency. It is provided without support and without obligation on the part of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute to assist in its use, correction, modification, or enhancement. For use in publication, authors should obtain written permission from MBARI's Director of Information and Technology Dissemination, Judith Connor, conn@mbari.org. Authors should acknowledge MBARI as the data source in those publications and provide reprints to the MBARI library. Also, it is generally expected that any science publication relying heavily on information or interpretation from one or more MBARI scientists or technicians will acknowledge those scientists, typically by including them as collaborators and co-authors when their contribution has been significant.

Exclusions:
MBARI typically embargoes annotation and related data for two years for internal quality control and analysis. In addition, extensions to this period are sometimes granted for specific data sets, which are still undergoing review and analysis for publication. In general, most of the annotations and related data older than two years are made available through data providers such as OBIS-USA as well as via the VARS Public Query system, but it should not be assumed that these data are representative of the entire MBARI video annotation database.

Quality Control:
Due to the nature of ROV video data collection and analysis, identifications of marine organisms may change over time based on new research findings, expanded collection ranges, or technological advances such as higher-resolution camera systems. Further, the data provided in MBARI's video annotation database are continuously undergoing updates to reflect quality control and other improvements.

For these reasons, no specific data sets obtained from the VARS Query system (or via secondary data providers such as OBIS-USA) should be considered for scientific publication without first obtaining appropriate written verification from MBARI. If you wish to contribute to (e.g., to suggest enhancements or corrections) or to use this data for scientific publication, we encourage you to contact MBARI to arrange any necessary data review and distribution.

Keywords

Video

Image

Observation

Annotation

Bryozoa

Porifera

Hemichordata

Annelida

Platyhelminthes

Echinodermata

Brachiopoda

Sipuncula

Mollusca

Chaetognatha

Chordata

Animalia

Echiura

Nemertea

Ctenophora

Cnidaria

Eubacteria

Sarcomastigophora

Plantae

Fungi

ROV Tiburon

ROV Ventana

R/V Point Lobos

R/V Western Flyer

Data Center

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute [Information]
Data Center URL: http://www.mbari.org/

Data Center Personnel

Name: JUDITH CONNOR
Phone: (831) 775-1728
Email: conn at mbari.org
Contact Address:
7700 Sandholdt Road
City: Moss Landing
Province or State: California
Postal Code: 93940
Country: USA

Personnel

JUDITH CONNOR
Role: INVESTIGATOR
Role: TECHNICAL CONTACT
Phone: (831) 775-1728
Email: conn at mbari.org
Contact Address:
7700 Sandholdt Road
City: Moss Landing
Province or State: California
Postal Code: 93940
Country: USA

Creation and Review Dates

DIF Creation Date: 2005-03-08

Last DIF Revision Date: 2012-05-02

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