Introduction
VedChirayath gave a detailed PowerPoint lecture with amazing pictures of corals, space, and marine life using the applications of fluid lensing. Chirayath is working for NASA and doing this while completing his Ph.D. program in Stanford. He has built and uses drones called Quadcopters to monitor coral reefs.
Discussion
What is coral?
Corals are marine invertebrates that live in close colonies under water. Coral reefs are underwater structures that are formed from the production of calcium carbonate from corals.
Why are coral reefs important to the environment?
Coral reefs are very important to the environment because they are the rainforest of the ocean, lifeline of ocean ecosystem, food security for marine life, coastal protection and produce 16% of our total oxygen.
What can destroy corals?
Some hazards to corals are tsunamis, pollution, uneducated scuba divers, sewage water, cyanide fishing, and blast fishing.
What can be done to protect coral?
Some things that can be done to protect corals are to conserve water, reduce carbon footprint by driving less or carpooling, donate to coral reef protection agencies and spread the word about the importance of coral reefs to earth’s overall health.
What and how is research being done to understand and measure coral reefs worldwide?
VedChirayaths application of fluid lensing and his Quadcaptor drones are being used to map out the corals and to monitor coral health and growth.
Conclusion
Overall Chirayath’s presentation was amazing. He presented the material very well with detailed pictures and the information flowed well with the slides he choose. Due to this presentation I am now more aware of the importance of coral reefs and the new applications that are being developed to promote their health.
