New Publication Explores AI-Powered Solutions for Coral Reef Monitoring

We are excited to announce the lab’s new publication titled “Quantifying 3D coral reef structural complexity from 2D drone imagery using artificial intelligence” in Ecological Informatics! This research harnesses the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and drone technology to quantify the 3D structural complexity of coral reefs, an essential component of reef health and biodiversity.

Why Is Complexity Important?
Reef structural complexity provides critical habitats for marine life, offering shelter for fish, promoting biodiversity, and protecting coastlines from wave energy. When this complexity is lost due to stressors like warming seas and pollution, reef ecosystems lose their ability to support vibrant marine communities and protect coastal regions. Accurately measuring complexity is key to understanding reef health and creating strategies for their conservation.

What Makes This Study Exciting?
Coral reefs are facing unprecedented challenges, from warming seas to habitat destruction, leading to a loss of structural complexity that underpins reef ecosystems. Traditional methods to assess reef structure are time-consuming and often limited in scale. This study bridges the gap by integrating drone imagery, color space analysis, and neural networks to predict structural metrics like height range, rugosity, and fractal dimension across entire reef systems.

Implications for Coral Reef Conservation
By enabling rapid, scalable assessments of reef complexity, this approach provides vital data for managing and conserving coral reef habitats. The method can inform efforts to safeguard biodiversity, mitigate climate change impacts, and improve coastal resilience.

To learn more, check out the full study here