Many cameras are installed on the seafloor for long time periods and run on schedules with lights, which are turned on several times per day.

Camera systems are installed at many sites within the Ocean Networks Canada observatories. Certain cameras are installed at shallow depths (such as Mill Bay) and do not have lights, and images are visible only during the daylight hours.

While most camera video is streaming live from the seafloor, video from cruises and dive operations are later ingested into the Ocean Networks Canada database. In the Arctic, cameras have been used to construct time-lapse videos showing seasonal surface ice changes throughout the year. The various cameras at Ocean Networks Canada are diverse, and many applications are used to discover the marine environment.