Long-term change in benthic biodiversity in the Southern Ocean

Using historical images (taken by University of Cape Town researchers in the 1980’s), this project is investigating the change in benthic assemblages at the pristine Prince Edward Islands in the Southern Ocean. Current photographic and video sampling efforts undertaken using the towed benthic camera (SkiMonkey III) have re-surveyed the original locations around the islands, providing comparative data. The work seeks to examine functional change in the epibenthos in relation to a range of biophysical drivers.