Scientists from Taiwan and Australia have begun the testing phase of a research project designed to develop a more efficient way of mapping sea grass in South Australia’s Gulf St. Vincent. That’s the word from National Applied Research Laboratories on Friday.
The project, which started 3 years ago, is a collaboration between the Taiwan-based National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), the National Applied Research Laboratories, and the Australian Water Quality Center.
This joint-project will use advanced technology involving an underwater sensor towed behind a boat to generate a detailed map of the coastal seabed. The scientists will also look at collecting data from airborne sensors such as remote-controlled drones and satellites, which will help build larger scale seafloor maps. The sensors may ultimately be used to monitor and manage water quality in the ocean and in reservoirs.
This technology is seen as a significant improvement from the traditional mapping method of aerial photography. The latter can be costly and is unable to collect digital hyper-spectral information which provides more accurate and clearer images.