3: LAI Planning
IN THIS LESSON
Clinton Edwards, Ecologist
This lesson dives into the essentials of designing an effective large-area imaging (LAI) survey, covering critical constraints with a focus on balancing image detail and practical logistics. It also includes examples of how LAI can be applied across different research interests and project capabilities, helping you assess whether LAI is the right fit for you.
Learning Objective: Is LAI for you? Gain an understanding of the research capabilities and practical limitations/constraints of LAI.
In this video, the stop lights represent how suitable different projects are for Large-Area Imaging (LAI). A green light means the project is a great fit for LAI, while a red light indicates it may not be the best choice.
Supplementary Videos: Case Studies
In this set of videos, we explore real-life applications of Large-Area Imaging (LAI) for coral reef monitoring, research, and restoration. You’ll see how LAI technology has been used to track coral health, and assess ecosystem changes, offering valuable insights into the impact and potential of this tool in marine conservation.
Project’s at NOAA’s PIFSC: Tom Oliver, Research Ecologist with NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center
Explore three case studies from NOAA’s Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) showcasing different ways they are using LAI technology to advance coral reef science.
Structural Metrics from 3D Models: Dr. Will Fuguera, The University of Sydney
This case study explores how 3D models provide valuable insights into the structure of coral reef habitats. It covers two fundamental methods for extracting structural information, and provides examples of how structural data from 3D models are used to better understand reef ecosystems.
Spatial Modeling: Dr. Dylan McNamara, Professor and Chair of the Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington
Dr. McNamara shares examples of how mathematical tools are used to study non-linear dynamics in coral reef ecosystems. He discusses his connection with the Sandin Lab and how they leverage the rich data collected from coral reefs worldwide to explore complex ecological patterns and processes.
Physical Drivers: Michael Fox, Red Sea Research Center, KAUST
This case study explores how large-area imaging is used to study physical drivers of coral community dynamics. By assessing coral populations across environmental gradients, LAI helps us understand how physical factors shape reef communities and their trajectories over time.
XL Large Area Imaging: Dr. Arthur Gleason, Research Associate Professor at the University of Miami
What happens when the area that you need to image is larger than the limits of what you can typically fit in a dive? This question is explored through the case study of the 2010 grounding of the Suez Matthew in Guayanilla Bay, PR.