Cameras that can see 90 times better than the human eye have captured stunning aerial images of Ningaloo Reef on Western Australia's north west coast, with the technology being used to monitor its health.
Queensland University of Technology researchers used hyperspectral cameras to survey about 40 hectares of Ningaloo Reef at a flight height of 100 metres in a data-gathering mission to inform future research.
Hyperspectral cameras capture 270 bands in the visible and near-infrared portions of the light spectrum, compared to the three bands of red, green and blue that the human eye and normal cameras can detect.
Associate professor Felipe Gonzalez said the new lightweight hyperspectral cameras would open many possibilities for reef monitoring.
"Our data would make for a fascinating comparison between a remote pristine reef in Western Australia and a reef system under pressure from human activities along the Queensland coast," he said.
The cameras were placed on unmanned aerial vehicles to capture the reef, which spans 290km and is one of the longest near-shore reefs in the world.
Assoc Prof Gonzalez said the technology was already being used in agriculture to help farmers detect and treat diseases early.
