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Flying Drone Captures Underwater Images of 300-Year-Old Coral
Coral reefs sustain about a quarter of all marine life and are shelter for more than 4,000 species. The fish that live within coral reefs are an important food staple for about 500 million people around the world.
Yet despite their crucial role in the marine ecosystem, coral reefs are mostly unmapped. Hand-mapping or photographing reefs is incredibly tedious, time-consuming and potentially inaccurate, while satellite imagery gets muddled by waves. Radar can’t penetrate the water’s surface and sonar fails in shallow areas.
To get around these limitations, Palumbi and Stanford aeronautics graduate student Ved Chirayath developed a tiny, remote-controlled drone that can film coral reefs from up to 200 feet (61 meters) above the ocean.
But ripples on the water create distortion and blur that make the drone images difficult to interpret. So after the images were gathered, Chirayath used a technique called fluid lensing to digitally remove those distortions and sharpen the images.
“The lensing takes a huge problem in looking through the surface of the water and turns it into an advantage,” Palumbi said. “It not only removes the ripples, but uses their magnification to enhance the image,” he added, referring to the fact that objects underwater tend to appear closer than they are because of how light bends when it moves from air to water.
The researchers then used a 360-degree camera to photograph the reefs from underwater.
Combining the images from both the drone and the underwater camera, the team produced gorgeous panoramic images of the reefs surrounding a marine protected area in American Samoa around Ofu Island.
The corals, some of which are 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 m) wide, live in a reef called the “Village of Elders” that seems perfectly suited to these ancient corals.
As a follow-up, the team plans to combine data on water temperature and water flow with the images to see how climate change alters the reef ecosystem.
Source: www.livescience.com
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EXCLUSIVE: Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of New Scuba Diving Training Agency NovoScuba
In a video recorded exclusively for Scubaverse.com, Jeff Goodman interviews Mark Spiers, CEO of new scuba diving training agency NovoScuba.
Find out more about NovoScuba at www.novoscuba.com.
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Charting New Waters; NovoScuba Goes Global with the Launch of their Revolutionary Dive Training Agency!
Discover a New Era of Dive Education: NovoScuba Brings Innovation to the Surface! Fully ISO Certified and Equipped with Cutting-Edge Technology.
With a combined experience spanning over a century in the diving industry, a team of accomplished dive store owners, managers, and professionals unveils NovoScuba, a ground-breaking dive training agency poised to redefine the benchmarks of underwater education. Launching in May 2024, NovoScuba promises a revolutionary approach to dive training. Their vision is to make diving accessible to everyone, share success within the dive community and emphasise positive interactions with the planet.
NovoScuba’s global debut marks a significant milestone in the dive industry. Driven by a vision to challenge convention and harness the power of technology, NovoScuba aims to revolutionise the dive training landscape through its innovative business model, which is digitally native, making it the most technologically advanced dive training agency to date.
“We recognised the need for change in the dive training industry and saw an opportunity to leverage technology, and redefine existing business models to create something truly innovative,” said Mark Spiers, CEO of NovoScuba.
NovoScuba’s platform offers state of the art training programmes ranging from introductory up to professional diving, including various specialties. All programmes meet international standards and ISO certifications are in place. This commitment to shared success, accessibility and positive results for the planet, all at a cost effective and affordable level, is what will make NovoScuba stand out.
“Our deep understanding of traditional pain points for the industry, combined with our digitally native approach positions NovoScuba as a game-changer in dive education. Offering unparalleled initiatives such as student subscription, open access to all course materials, pay as you certify, no stock required, monthly membership payments, payment in local currencies, one-click certifications, and membership freezing, NovoScuba is set to redefine the industry. Available in 13 languages, at launch, the NovoScuba courses are written for the modern divers, with a focus on up-to-date content, interactive learning, and an engaging platform,” Mark Spiers concluded.
NovoScuba is challenging a change in the industry, redefining established traditional systems, and ushering in a new standard of excellence, support, and partnership. Their collaborations with dive stores, pros and underwater enthusiasts won’t demand exclusivity, prioritising earned loyalty, and an understanding that their Member’s success is key to their own.
NovoScuba
Diving Redefined.
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