Scientists reveal unprecedented insight into coral growth through new 3D imaging technology
A new 3D visual imaging system built at the University of Southampton has mapped more than 50 hectares of seabed in the North East Atlantic, revealing the lasting impact of trawling in cold-water coral reefs.
The three week research expedition identified a stark contrast in coral re-growth depending on locations’ history of heavy trawling. Research partners have also commented on the “shocking” levels of litter found at the Darwin Mounds site off the coast of Scotland.
The expedition was the first deployment of the BioCam visual imaging system, led by the School of Engineering’s Dr Blair Thornton.
Mounted on a robot-sub developed by the National Oceanography Centre, the system highlighted patterns in the spatial distribution of coral and the ecology at the site, ranging from fine, metre-scale patterns seen in video surveys, to much larger patterns in the distribution of live coral over several hundreds of metres.