In collaboration with the University of Guam, PlanBlue has published a peer reviewed article on the open access scientific platform PLOS ONE. The article discusses research supported by PlanBlue’s seafloor habitat mapping technology monitoring coral reef transition around the Pacific island of Guam.

PlanBlue’s technology, employing hyperspectral imagery, underwater navigation and machine learning algorithms, was used to assess the benthic cover of biotic and abiotic categories in 2019. The results were compared to manual photoquadrat surveys conducted by divers at the same time.

The study highlights the benefits of underwater hyperspectral imaging for habitat mapping. The analyses showed no significant difference between automatically classified benthic cover estimates derived from the hyperspectral scans and those coming from photoquadrats. These findings amplify underwater hyperspectral imaging can be an efficient and effective tool for fast, frequent, and accurate monitoring of dynamic reef communities.

To read the full article: Coral reefs in transition: Temporal photoquadrat analyses and validation of underwater hyperspectral imaging for resource-efficient monitoring in Guam