Researchers are mapping coral reefs at famous surf breaks around the world.
The project from the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo and Arizona State University aims at creating 3D models of major reef formations in the Pacific.
“Ultimately, we’re trying to understand how all the organisms on the reefs are connected and how they are going to change in the future as climate conditions shift,” UH Hilo professor John H.R. Burns said.
Burns, alongside ASU professors Haunani Kane and Cliff Kapono, base their work out of the Multiscale Environmental Graphical Analysis lab in Hilo. So far, the team has mapped the North Shore’s Banzai Pipeline and Fiji’s Cloudbreak.
“Many funding agencies may see this type of trip as strictly play, but we are doing real science down here,” said Kapono said in a press release.
“By doing this, we can support long-term sustainability of coral reefs and all the resources we get from them by figuring out what are the key players that help that system be intact and productive,” Burns said.
The MEGA Lab is located in Hilo and is open for visitors to explore and learn more about marine science.
