Computer Vision Coral Ecology: Cyber-Enabled Image Classification for Rapid, Large Scale, Automated Monitoring of Climate Change Impacts on Coral Reefs

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法》(公法111-5)资助的。人类对珊瑚礁的压力加上气候变化的影响正在导致全球珊瑚礁前所未有的减少，但尚不存在在大时间和空间尺度上监测珊瑚礁健康状况的自动化技术。该项目将开发和部署自动化技术，以便在大的时间和空间尺度上监测珊瑚礁的健康状况。它将创建一个启用网络的计算机视觉珊瑚生态门户，允许通过基于网络的交互式服务器范例远程上传和专家分类，其中外部用户无需管理硬件或软件。为了实现这一目标，需要新的计算机视觉技术。这一努力不仅有可能推动计算机视觉技术的发展，还可能改变珊瑚礁生态的执行方式。将解决水下成像和照明建模中的基本计算机视觉问题，RGB和来自移动摄像平台的荧光图像的配准。计算机视觉系统的逐步改进，结合利用这些使能技术收集的新数据，将能够产生变革性的生态成果，包括：1)在不同地点建立珊瑚礁健康基线，这对于理解气候变化的影响至关重要；2)开发快速定量调查方法，以支持生态研究或管理；3)估计主要珊瑚礁物种的生长、死亡率、补充率和竞争力，以及与变暖和酸化有关的变化；4)增进对知之甚少的深海珊瑚礁的了解；5)支持我们的合作者利用航空和卫星遥感进行快速和空间上广泛的原位分类，以及6)创造多光谱图像获取和处理的新方法，以改进基于网络的珊瑚礁群落生态分类。该项目包括本科生、研究生和博士后研究人员的参与和教育。该项目还包括一个跨学科教育和外展计划，让高中生和教师参与，使用一个创新的基于网络的“珊瑚测验”，将交流生态、计算机科学和珊瑚礁生物学的细节。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).Anthropogenic stresses to reefs coupled with climate change impacts are causing unprecedented declines in coral reefs globally yet automated technology to monitor the health of coral reefs at large temporal and spatial scales does not exist. This project will develop and deploy automated technology to monitor the health of coral reefs at large temporal and spatial scales. It will create a cyber-enabled Computer Vision Coral Ecology Portal that will allow upload, and expert classification remotely via an interactive web-based server paradigm where the external user need not manage the hardware or software. To achieve this goal new computer vision technology is needed. The effort has the potential to not only advance computer vision technology but also transform the way that coral reef ecology is performed. Fundamental computer vision problems in underwater imaging and illumination modeling, registration of RGB and fluorescence images from a moving camera rig will be addressed. Progressive improvement in the computer vision system combined with new data collected with these enabling technologies, will allow for transformational ecological outcomes including: 1) creation of baselines of coral reef health at diverse locations essential for understanding impacts of climate change; 2) development of rapid methods for quantitative surveying in support of ecology research or management; 3) estimates of growth, mortality, and recruitment rates and competitive abilities of the key coral reef species and the changes associated with warming and acidification; 4) improved knowledge of deep coral reefs for which very little is known; 5) rapid and spatially extensive in situ classification in support work by our collaborators on using airborne and satellite remote sensing and 6) creation of novel methods for multi-spectral image acquisition and processing to improve cyber-based ecological classification of coral reef communities.The project includes participation and education for undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. The project also includes an interdisciplinary education and out-reach program to involve high school students and teachers, using an innovative web-based "Coral Quiz" that will communicate details of ecology, computer science and the biology of coral reefs.