Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies
Marine ecosystem monitoring requires observations of its attributes at different spatial and temporal scales that traditional sampling methods (e.g., RGB imaging, sediment cores) struggle to efficiently provide. Proximal optical sensing methods can fill this observational gap by providing observatio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-08-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/17/3451 |
| _version_ | 1797520907179130880 |
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| author | Juan C. Montes-Herrera Emiliano Cimoli Vonda Cummings Nicole Hill Arko Lucieer Vanessa Lucieer |
| author_facet | Juan C. Montes-Herrera Emiliano Cimoli Vonda Cummings Nicole Hill Arko Lucieer Vanessa Lucieer |
| author_sort | Juan C. Montes-Herrera |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Marine ecosystem monitoring requires observations of its attributes at different spatial and temporal scales that traditional sampling methods (e.g., RGB imaging, sediment cores) struggle to efficiently provide. Proximal optical sensing methods can fill this observational gap by providing observations of, and tracking changes in, the functional features of marine ecosystems non-invasively. Underwater hyperspectral imaging (UHI) employed in proximity to the seafloor has shown a further potential to monitor pigmentation in benthic and sympagic phototrophic organisms at small spatial scales (mm–cm) and for the identification of minerals and taxa through their finely resolved spectral signatures. Despite the increasing number of studies applying UHI, a review of its applications, capabilities, and challenges for seafloor ecosystem research is overdue. In this review, we first detail how the limited band availability inherent to standard underwater cameras has led to a data analysis “bottleneck” in seafloor ecosystem research, in part due to the widespread implementation of underwater imaging platforms (e.g., remotely operated vehicles, time-lapse stations, towed cameras) that can acquire large image datasets. We discuss how hyperspectral technology brings unique opportunities to address the known limitations of RGB cameras for surveying marine environments. The review concludes by comparing how different studies harness the capacities of hyperspectral imaging, the types of methods required to validate observations, and the current challenges for accurate and replicable UHI research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:05:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9d7effa0c66f41f7a6a69ddc102c8d25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2072-4292 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T08:05:09Z |
| publishDate | 2021-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-9d7effa0c66f41f7a6a69ddc102c8d252023-11-22T11:09:07ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922021-08-011317345110.3390/rs13173451Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem StudiesJuan C. Montes-Herrera0Emiliano Cimoli1Vonda Cummings2Nicole Hill3Arko Lucieer4Vanessa Lucieer5Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, AustraliaNational Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Wellington 14901, New ZealandInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, AustraliaDiscipline of Geography and Spatial Sciences, School of Technology, Environments and Design, College of Sciences and Engineering, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, AustraliaInstitute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Tasmania 7001, AustraliaMarine ecosystem monitoring requires observations of its attributes at different spatial and temporal scales that traditional sampling methods (e.g., RGB imaging, sediment cores) struggle to efficiently provide. Proximal optical sensing methods can fill this observational gap by providing observations of, and tracking changes in, the functional features of marine ecosystems non-invasively. Underwater hyperspectral imaging (UHI) employed in proximity to the seafloor has shown a further potential to monitor pigmentation in benthic and sympagic phototrophic organisms at small spatial scales (mm–cm) and for the identification of minerals and taxa through their finely resolved spectral signatures. Despite the increasing number of studies applying UHI, a review of its applications, capabilities, and challenges for seafloor ecosystem research is overdue. In this review, we first detail how the limited band availability inherent to standard underwater cameras has led to a data analysis “bottleneck” in seafloor ecosystem research, in part due to the widespread implementation of underwater imaging platforms (e.g., remotely operated vehicles, time-lapse stations, towed cameras) that can acquire large image datasets. We discuss how hyperspectral technology brings unique opportunities to address the known limitations of RGB cameras for surveying marine environments. The review concludes by comparing how different studies harness the capacities of hyperspectral imaging, the types of methods required to validate observations, and the current challenges for accurate and replicable UHI research.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/17/3451imaging spectroscopymarine pigmentsbenthic habitatremotely operated vehicle (ROV)spectral analysismapping |
| spellingShingle | Juan C. Montes-Herrera Emiliano Cimoli Vonda Cummings Nicole Hill Arko Lucieer Vanessa Lucieer Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies Remote Sensing imaging spectroscopy marine pigments benthic habitat remotely operated vehicle (ROV) spectral analysis mapping |
| title | Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies |
| title_full | Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies |
| title_fullStr | Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies |
| title_short | Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging (UHI): A Review of Systems and Applications for Proximal Seafloor Ecosystem Studies |
| title_sort | underwater hyperspectral imaging uhi a review of systems and applications for proximal seafloor ecosystem studies |
| topic | imaging spectroscopy marine pigments benthic habitat remotely operated vehicle (ROV) spectral analysis mapping |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/13/17/3451 |
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