Posted on: Tuesday, December 17, 2002

Tech firm wins bid to map coral reefs

By John Duchemin
Advertiser Staff Writer

Honolulu research firm Science & Technology International has landed a multimillion-dollar federal contract to map Hawai'i's coral reefs using high-tech imaging equipment.

STI will use plane-mounted cameras to scan reefs from the Big Island to Midway for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which is preparing to compile a report gauging the reefs' health.

STI's special cameras use a process called "hyperspectral imaging" to detect underwater objects. This involves using computers to analyze sunlight reflected from the ocean's surface for minute differences in colors that would be invisible to the human eye.

Healthy reefs are usually a different color than sick or dying reefs — and therefore would look different when viewed by airborne hyperspectral cameras, STI spokeswoman Linda Jameson said.

STI, which has more than 100 employees in Hawai'i, has developed its imaging technology primarily for the military as a submarine and mine detection system.

That technology was built using more than $25 million of Office of Naval Research funding, and STI continues to receive millions each year from the Navy. But the company has begun to spin off the technology for other uses, including healthcare and environmental scanning.

The NOAA contract will be one of the technology's most extensive non-military uses.

STI also recently used a leased blimp to scan for algae blooms in coastal waters off Maryland, Jameson said. And in Maryland this fall, the government tested STI systems on blimps for potential use in security — at one point putting a camera-mounted blimp on standby in the hunt for the D.C.-area sniper.

STI is one of several firms in Hawai'i developing high-tech imaging equipment for military and civilian use. Other companies include Oceanit, Novasol, Trex and Orincon.

Reach John Duchemin by e-mail at jduchemin@honoluluadvertiser.com or by phone at 525-8062.