BRUVS in Stereo

South Africa’s oceans host an extraordinary diversity of marine life, but many of our fish communities remain under-observed - especially those in deeper or more remote areas. This presentation will showcase Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Video systems (stereo-BRUVs) and how they are helping us to better understand and conserve these hidden fish assemblages. Drawing from years of research across a range of habitats and Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), the audience is taken below the surface to explore patterns in fish biodiversity, community structure, and ecosystem function.

Insights from the Marine Remote Imagery Platform (MaRIP), show how stereo-BRUVs technology has become a powerful, non-destructive tool for monitoring demersal fish species - from shallow reefs to the deep sea. This research provides baseline data essential for marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management and also uncovers how ecological traits and functional diversity vary across different regions, habitats, and protection levels. Importantly, this work goes beyond the science. It reflects a commitment to capacity building, collaboration, and real-world impact - supporting the development of locally-driven monitoring programs, strengthening the link between research and decision-making, and encouraging inclusive participation in marine science.

Attendees will get a glimpse of our underwater world through selected video clips and findings from national and regional collaborations, and learn how tools like stereo-BRUVs are transforming our ability to observe and manage marine life. This presentation celebrates both the incredible biodiversity of South Africa’s oceans and the growing community of researchers, students, and conservationists working to protect it.

Whether you're a fish fanatic, an ocean advocate, or simply curious about marine science, come join this deep dive into the world beneath the waves.

Each session consists of 20-minute presentations, followed by a joint Q&A session of 15 minutes.

ABOUT DR KAYLEE SMIT

Kaylee is a marine ecologist, passionate about using science to support better protection and sustainable use of ocean ecosystems. Her work focuses on underwater visual survey methods - particularly Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Video systems (Stereo-BRUVs) - to understand fish biodiversity, monitor ecosystem health, and inform marine conservation. She completed her PhD in 2020, researching rocky reef ecosystems and developing ecological indicators using stereo-BRUVs. Since then, she has been involved in a range of regional projects, often trying to connect science with decision-making. Currently Kaylee is a postdoctoral research fellow at Nelson Mandela University and a research associate at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB). She is a co-founder and director of a small non-profit, Ocean Life Science, which focuses on marine research, capacity building, and education.

Her recent work explores how functional traits of fish communities vary across different marine environments and how innovative tools like stereo-BRUVs and other underwater observation methods can strengthen long-term monitoring and decision-making.  Deeply committed to knowledge sharing and building regional capacity - whether through developing online courses, facilitating workshops, or running public outreach events like rock pool treasure hunts and fish ID snorkels and dives, Kaylee believes that meaningful, accessible science has the power to shift how we understand and care for our oceans.

Whether she's pulling deep-sea camera gear from a boat, training students, or creating visuals to communicate underwater discoveries, she's driven by the idea that everyone should be part of ocean conservation.