3D Modeling Coral Reefs: How Data Science Helps Us Better Understand Coral Reef Ecosystems

September 17, 2020

John Burns, PhD. University of Hawai`i at Hilo

Coral reefs are both culturally and economically important, yet these ecosystems still remain poorly understood. Join Dr. John Burns to learn how the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis Lab uses cutting-edge 3D technology to map reefs in high-resolution. These 3D reconstructions are then layered with real-world data to improve our understanding of the biology and ecology of these habitats. This work has helped us to learn how coral reefs are changing over time, and how these changes affect associated reef organisms and the services we as humans depend on. Ultimately, our goal is to use innovative technologies to improve our understanding of coral reefs and develop techniques to help protect and preserve these ecosystems for future generations.