Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool for Benthic Habitat Mapping

Underwater Hyperspectral Imaging as a Tool for Benthic Habitat Mapping

Underwater hyperspectral imaging (UHI) represents a relatively new seafloor mapping technique. As opposed to conventional digital cameras, which render colors using a red (R), a green (G) and a blue (B) waveband within the visible light spectrum, hyperspectral imagers quantify colors as contiguous spectra. This provides a substantially improved foundation for color-based identification and mapping of biogeochemical seafloor targets. In this presentation, it is demonstrated that a considerable biological color diversity can be found among benthic organisms. It is also shown that this diversity not necessarily is well represented in RGB imagery. Through a series of examples, it is further demonstrated that underwater hyperspectral imagers can be deployed on a range of sensor-carrying platforms, all of which have associated benefits and limitations. Although the focus of the presentation is on marine biological applications, the presented work also features an archaeological case study. This example illustrates that UHI may be used interdisciplinarily, with actors from multiple scientific fields involved. Ultimately, the potential role of UHI in future marine research is discussed in context with other currently employed seafloor mapping techniques.