Drones for science

A Porites sp. spotted with this technology

Drone videos are a great tool to identify giant coral colonies as they allow to cover a wide area in a relatively short time. This technique allows to explore shallow waters, and marine biologist Olivia Forster and her team at The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Island have been able to identify this giant coral in the lagoon of the resort. This Porites sp. measures 6.5m in length and approximately 17.5m in perimeter. Although it presents some dead portions, the alive tissue has been estimated over 76%.

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Published on: 11 October 2024