Monitoring of corals - Polyp Activity Monitoring System (PAMS)

Polyp Activity Monitoring System (PAMS)

Many corals are listed as endangered because they harbor threatened species. Therefore, they need to be monitored in the most gentle way possible. Anything that disturbs the seabed can be a threat to corals. These threats must be taken seriously, as corals contribute to marine biodiversity and have important ecosystem functions on the seabed.

Chief Scientist Thierry Baussant at NORCE has developed a new technology at the NORCE Marine Research Centre in Mekjarvik. This new technology can monitor corals without physically touching them. The method is based on camera technology and a methodology for observing coral welfare and condition in their natural environment in the sea. The invention has been named the Polyp Activity Monitoring System (PAMS).

The unique aspect of the invention is the system's ability to collect, display, and analyze images of coral polyps using time-lapse photography to measure their behavior. The system analyzes each image and then creates a silhouette of the coral that is used to measure polyp activities. This allows for the monitoring of corals without physical contact. This is crucial because many corals are on the endangered species list. Currently, there are very few similar monitoring tools available.

An important tool for decision-makers and industry players

The new coral monitoring tool can be used for decision support and risk assessment related to industrial activities in deep water. Such a tool is relevant both for authorities regulating new areas and for industry players planning to establish new offshore industries in locations with fragile marine life. There is also hope that the new PAMS tool will contribute to better monitoring of the oceans, particularly the deep sea.

Read and watch press coverage (NRK) of PAMS

1) Read article

2) Watch TV report

3) Listen to radio interview with Thierry Baussant (starts at 02:00:36)