NASA technology used to conduct aerial health check of Great Barrier Reef
Cutting-edge NASA technology is being used to capture the most complete picture yet of the Great Barrier Reef's health.
Over the next month, a sensor mounted on a Gulfstream IV jet will capture images of six sections of the reef from the Torres Strait to Heron Island.
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences lead researcher Eric Hochberg said they called it the Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory.
"Unlike your smart phone or SLR camera that take pictures in three colours, this camera takes pictures in 250 colours from ultraviolet to infrared," he said.
"With that detailed information, we're able to tell what the atmosphere is over the reef, we're able to tell how deep the water is, what's in the water and of course what's on the bottom."
He said the bird's-eye perspective would reveal much more about how reef ecosystems worked.
"When you go scuba diving or snorkelling you put on a mask, which is literally putting blinders on," Mr Hochberg said.
"From 28,000 feet we can see the whole reef, we're can see the entire ecosystem in one picture instead of looking at bits of it and trying to piece it together."
Underwater surveys are being done at Lizard Island in far north Queensland and Heron Island in central Queensland to verify the bird's-eye images.
CSIRO senior research scientist Tim Malthus is also working on the project and described it as a unique opportunity.
"[The prism sensor] is the next generation of sensors that will eventually fly in satellite sensors in space," Mr Malthus said.
"We're getting a head start."
He said the data would make it possible to compare the health of different reef systems.
"We're interested in developing tools that help the Queensland Government and the Federal Government manage the reef — they need to understand the health of the reef," he said.
Other Pacific reefs in Hawaii and Palau would also be examined by the flying laboratory.
CSIRO and the University of Queensland are working with NASA on the Australian portion of the project.