In a collaboration between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Sydney, California Academy of Sciences (CalAcademy), Oceanly, University of Western Australia, and University of Auckland, supported by Inkfish…
In a collaboration between the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), University of Sydney, California Academy of Sciences (CalAcademy), Oceanly, University of Western Australia, and University of Auckland, supported by Inkfish, the University of Sydney’s Seeker AUV, equipped with a Nortek Nucleus 1000, worked alongside divers to create a 3D map of a coral reef off the coast of Tonga.
Researchers from NTNU, the University of Sydney, and CalAcademy are working together to investigate how mesophotic reefs (low-light coral reefs in middle-depth waters) support the genetic diversity of corals which are increasingly threatened by climate change.
“Shallow reefs are more susceptible to climate change,” explains Dr. Jackson Shields, Research Fellow at the University of Sydney’s Australian Centre for Robotics (ACFR). “There are theories deeper reefs can act as refuges for these corals. When shallow reefs die out, they can be reseeded with corals from deeper ecosystems.”
As part of the Inkfish Coastal Seas expedition, the research team traveled to Tonga in the fall of 2024 to conduct a photogrammetry assessment of reefs in the Hapai area essentially creating a 3-dimensional map of the reefs which will be used to geo-reference their collected coral samples.
However, mesophotic reefs are historically under-studied,
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