LifeWatch observatory data: zooplankton observations by in-situ imaging (Video Plankton Recorder) in the Belgian Part of the North Sea

As part of the marine LifeWatch observatory, a real-time Video Plankton Recorder (VPR) (Seascan, Inc.) was added to the set of high-throughput imaging sensors that can be used to observe and understand zooplankton and its dynamics in the marine ecosystem. The VPR is essentially an underwater microscope which records images of particles from 100µm up to a few centimeters.

In the framework of the Lifewatch marine observatory the VPR is deployed both on fixed monthly transects and project-based transects, using the RV Simon Stevin.