At Tritonia, we’re always pleased to share the work our team is involved in. Our very own Andy Mogg is a co-author on a new paper published in Coral Reefs, which uses photogrammetry to track how coral reefs in the Chagos Archipelago recovered in the years following the 2015-16 global bleaching event.
Between 2017 and 2019, large areas of reef were mapped using structure-from-motion photogrammetry. This allowed the team to monitor changes in reef structure and complexity, and to follow the development of coral recruits over time – from centimetre-scale juveniles to colonies over half a metre wide.
As Andy explains:
“Large areas of coral reef were mapped and monitored over three years, to show changes in community structure and complexity following the 2015-16 global bleaching event. This work enabled us – specifically John Stratford – to track the development and viability of coral recruits, from cm-scale juveniles to half-metre wide mature colonies.”
The research tracked more than 1,000 coral recruits across 72 m² of reef. It showed how many survived, and how different species and conditions influenced recovery. Branching corals, for example, had the highest survival and growth rates, while previous high temperatures left lasting impacts on reef recovery.
Although this particular study was carried out before Hydrophis was launched, it demonstrates the value of bringing photogrammetry data into platforms like ours. As Andy notes:
“For visualisation, the 4D element of Hydrophis is perfect, allowing users to see how the whole reef changes, from mm to multi-metre scale, and even just visually compare between areas which are spatially close but have different exposure regimes or aspects.”
Studies like this show how photogrammetry can help us better understand the dynamics of reef recovery. With Hydrophis, those insights can be explored in new and engaging ways – whether by scientists, conservation teams or wider audiences.
You can read the full paper here: Tracking coral recruits during natural recovery of reefs following mass bleaching in the Chagos Archipelago (2017–2019).
