EcoRRAP Digital Surface Models

The current digital surface models (DSMs) represent scaled, 3D, representations of benthic communities at EcoRRAP study sites. DSMs are generated from raw imagery collected by divers (see SOP #14, Reef monitoring sampling methods | AIMS) and processed using photogrammetry software Agisoft Metashape. DSMs can be used to extract a range of data describing 3D habitat characterstics at both plot and colony scale, including: rugosity, surface area, and volume. Comparison of DSMS between years can also be used to quantify changes in the above metrics at plot scales and to measure 3D demographic rates of individual colonies (e.g. 3D growth and partial mortality).