The application of underwater acoustic and visual 3D mapping technologies for the study of deep ocean ecosystems.

深海是地球上最大的生命栖息地，但科学上对这个生态系统的了解仍然有限。现有数据表明，尽管深海生物多样性为支持地球上的生命提供了重要的生态系统服务，但全球人为威胁已经在影响其持久性。这表明迫切需要为可持续的深海治理提供信息、创建和实施框架。对深海生物多样性驱动因素的科学理解对这样一个框架至关重要，但进行科学考察的高要求限制了广泛的抽样。将三维绘图方法应用于深海栖息地可以减少水下所需的采样时间，并增加从一个区域收集的数据量。虽然用于水深测量的海底地物声学测绘已经很发达，但使用视频材料的光学3D测绘并不常见。然而，光学地图可以提供声学方法无法捕捉到的重要视觉细节。这项研究将探索选定的声学和光学技术在绘制深海生境三维地图方面的潜力，目的是减少宝贵的现场采样时间，并增加关于深海生境的信息，以便为其管理提供信息。具体地说，它将致力于制定方法，通过结合来自多波束声纳、摄影测量和照相技术的投入，创建和分析深海生态系统的3D地图。这些新技术对海洋生物科学的适用性将通过分析印度洋不同尺度和0至500米深度的三维生境异质性与生物群落之间的关系来检验。将在印度洋多个地区进行不同深度的系统调查。多波束声纳(Teledyne SeaBat T50-P)将从船上部署，以确定海底轮廓。将使用已建立的数据收集和软件(Reson PDS)创建多波束地图。巡航后，将开发一种方法来分析衡量栖息地复杂性的地图(Teledyne Caris)。将开发一种新的协议来收集和处理用于摄影测量的视频图像。将使用不同的平台来收集视频材料(潜艇、水下机器人、潜水员)，并将对飞行员和潜水员进行关于收集和缩放最佳实践的培训。将探索多种途径，使用Agisft Photoscan将收集的图像转换为3D可视化。这些模型将根据犀牛的既定方案进行栖息地复杂性信息的分析。在每个地点，将使用视频调查收集生物数据。巡航结束后，这些调查将被分析，以告知栖息地特征如何影响深海这一部分的生物多样性。这项研究将与Nekton基金会合作进行，作为“第一次下降”任务的一部分，以提高我们对印度洋深海生物多样性模式及其环境驱动因素的理解。

The deep ocean is the largest habitat for life on Earth, yet scientific understanding of this ecosystem remains limited. The data available shows that although deep sea biodiversity provides vital ecosystem services to support life on Earth, global anthropogenic threats are already impacting its persistence. This demonstrates the urgency to inform, create and implement a framework for sustainable deep ocean governance. Scientific understanding of the drivers of deep ocean biodiversity is essential for such a framework, but the high requirements of conducting a scientific expedition limit extensive sampling. Applying 3D mapping methodologies to deep ocean habitats can reduce the sampling time needed underwater and increase the amount of data collected from an area. Whereas acoustic mapping of sea-floor features for bathymetry is well-developed, optic 3D mapping using video material is not as common. Yet, optic maps can provide important visual details uncaptured by acoustic methods. This research will explore the potential of selected acoustic and optic technologies for the 3D mapping of deep sea habitats, with the aim of reducing precious sampling time in situ and increasing information about deep sea habitats to inform their governance. Specifically, it will aim to develop methodologies to create and analyse 3D maps of deep ocean ecosystems by combining input from multibeam sonar, photogrammetry and photomosaics. The suitability of these new technologies for marine biological science will be tested by analysing the relationship between 3D habitat heterogeneity and biological communities in the Indian Ocean at different scales and at depths between 0 and 500 m. Systematic surveying at different depths will take place at in multiple parts of the Indian Ocean. Multibeam sonar (Teledyne SeaBat T50-P) will be deployed from the ship to characterize the seafloor profile. Multibeam maps will be created using established data collection and software (Reson PDS). Post-cruise a method will be developed to analyse the maps for measures of habitat complexity (Teledyne CARIS). A new protocol will be developed to collect and process video images for photogrammetry. Different platforms will be used to collect video material (subs, ROVs, divers) and training will take place with pilots and divers on best practices for collecting and scaling. Multiple routes will be explored to convert the collected imagery to 3D visualisations using Agisoft PhotoScan. These models will be analysed for habitat complexity information following an established protocol in Rhinoceros. At each location, biological data will be collected using video surveys. Post cruise these surveys will be analysed to inform how habitat characteristics influence biodiversity in this part of the deep ocean.This research will take place in collaboration with the Nekton Foundation as part of mission 'First Descent' to improve our understanding of deep ocean biodiversity patterns and their environmental drivers in the Indian Ocean.