An underwater camera and water quality monitoring system provides the capability of shooting video or time lapse photography together with recording water condition or quality measurements in an integrated device for stationary, submerged deployment in a body of water under study. The underwater camera and water quality monitoring system has a configurable delay from submerged deployment in the waterway until image/video recording and water quality measurement sampling begins, allowing aquatic life activity to resume in the vicinity after disruption of the system deployment. The monitoring device may be used in combination with recognition software utilizing artificial intelligence techniques to identify species or individuals observed during monitoring.