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Counting Fish In Hawaii's Northwest Islands
Researchers Use New Technology To Study Reef Fish
The research vessel Rapture continues to map the northwest Hawaiian Islands. Researchers on board have found a new way to measure fish.
The research divers are mapping coral and counting fish. As you might imagine, the fish population is much greater up there than in the main Hawaiian Islands.
Dr. Bill Walsh and his team of fish trackers are using new technology to study reef fish -- underwater laser lights.
The lasers they're using are basically the same kind as one would use in a board room meeting. But these are put into underwater housings and the light emitted is more powerful.
Two of them are mounted a known distance apart on video cameras that are recording the fish being counted and sized. These beams of light are green rather than red, because green light travels farther underwater, making it more percreptible to the human eye.
The lasers project beams of light that create two dots on the fish. After each dive, the scientists review the video and are able to assess the length of the fish. They are also able to calculate the biomass of the fish, rather than eyeballing and guessing.
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