REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - A group of researchers using 'state-of-the-art' equipment travelled to North Sulawesi and Karimun Jawa Islands - Central Java to run a pioneering Indonesian Coral Reef Survey, according to the Australian Embassy, Greg Moriarty, on Friday.

"This project represents an exemplary partnership between an Australian university and its Indonesian stakeholders in an area of common interest to both nations and the region," Moriarty said.

Scientists from the University of Queensland, Indonesia's Institute of Sciences (LIPI) and local universities undertook the work for the Catlin Seaview Survey, a global initiative to map the world's coral reefs.

During their trip, the team used a motorized underwater camera, which was specially developed for the Catlin Seaview Survey, to capture images and videos of Indonesia?s coral reefs.

The camera is able to produce high-resolution 360-degree vision. These images will be analyzed by scientists to determine coral reef health using special 'image recognition' software and will be publicly available online (at www.globalreefrecord.org) for scientists and the public worldwide to use.

This scientific activity is part of a global series of underwater coral reef surveys which includes the Coral Triangle in South-East Asia.

The survey aims to create a vital scientific baseline study of the world's reefs. It is expected to reveal the impact of environmental changes on the world's coral reefs and help in the management of these vulnerable habitats, which are threatened by climate change and human activity.

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