Testing of 360-Degree Imaging Technologies for Improved Animal Detection around Tidal Energy Installations

2021-10-21 OERA Webinar - NSCC

Larissa Pattison, Ocean Frontier Institute
Dr. Craig Brown, Dalhousie University
Dr. Alain Joseph, Applied Research, Nova Scotia Community College

The research goal was to conduct a field study to test the performance of a new imaging camera system mounted on a floating tidal platform deployed in Grand Passage, Bay of Fundy.  Field testing featured testing of different camera mount locations on the platform in order to optimize field-of-view, maximize ambient light conditions, and importantly, to minimize confounding factors such as bubbles, vibration and turbidity in the upper 15 m of the water column. In addition, the prototype 360 camera was mounted adjacent to an ARIS Explorer 300 acoustic camera to draw comparisons on performance.