Using red light for in situ observations of deep-sea fishes

Observations of animals in the deep ocean typically require the use of bright lights that can damage eyes and disrupt normal behaviors. Although the use of infrared light is an effective means of unobtrusive observation on land, it is far less effective in the ocean where long wavelength light is rapidly attenuated by seawater. Here we describe in situ observations of the behavior of the sablefish, Anoplopoma fimbria, around a baited site under different lighting conditions. Fish were observed with low-light-level imaging that had adequate sensitivity to compensate for the attenuation losses associated with the use of long wavelength light in water.