News
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
News
Jeff chats to… Christopher Bartlett, MD of Indigo Safaris, about scuba diving and safaris in Africa (5 of 5)
In the last in this exclusive series of five videos, Jeff Goodman, Scubaverse Editor-at-Large, chats to Christopher Bartlett, Managing Director of Indigo Safaris, about their diving and wildlife adventures, and four of their top destinations. In this episode Christopher talks about Africa.
For more information, please visit www.indigosafaris.com
Rather listen to a podcast? Click on this link to listen HERE.
PADI created a buzz at the recent Palma International Boat Show in Mallorca where a real-life PADI branded mermaid engaged exhibitors and guests to showcase their PADI Open Water Diver and PADI Mermaid Courses.
The Palma International Boat Show, a prominent event in the yachting and boating industry, witnessed an impressive gathering of 271 participating companies, alongside a stunning display of 252 boats at sea. Drawing an enthusiastic audience, more than 32,000 people attended the show, setting the stage for PADI to captivate a diverse range of individuals with their mesmerising mermaid concept.
Over the course of two days, the enchanting mermaid made an eye-catching appearance, gracefully circulating among attendees while distributing flyers highlighting the PADI courses. As the summer season approaches, this interactive approach aimed to create awareness and generate interest in PADI’s Open Water Diver and PADI Mermaid courses, inviting water enthusiasts of all ages to explore the wonders of the underwater world.
“Our presence at the Palma International Boat Show allowed us to engage with a wide range of yachting and water sports enthusiasts,” said Josep Lluís Massuet, PADI EMEA Regional Manager, Spain.
“By featuring our PADI branded mermaid, we aimed to capture attention, spark curiosity, and promote our courses that empower individuals to begin their underwater adventures, explore and save the ocean.”
The PADI branded mermaid at the Palma International Boat Show served as a symbol of adventure and environmental stewardship, embodying PADI’s commitment to seek adventure and save the ocean.
For more from PADI, please visit www.padi.com
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