Optics Technology: At the Heart of Marine Research

Videos and images from advanced underwater cameras are a critical component of collecting data. We use this information to make informed management decisions for marine species and habitat.

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Hands wearing black sterile gloves hold a sea turtle with the number 478 on its shell and a name starting with the letters "Bet" are visible. A veterinarian holds sea turtle “Betty.” Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Melissa Cook
A view from a satellite over Earth’s ocean and an aerial view of a blue whale A view from a satellite over Earth’s ocean and an aerial view of a blue whale.
Researchers in hard hats and vests use a pulley system to lower a glider into the water off the back of a research ship. Other researchers sit in a black raft floating in the water behind the boat. Deploying a glider off the side of a ship. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Person aboard a fishing boat holding a caught coho salmon Oregon angler Jim Anderson displays a wild Oregon Coast coho salmon that he caught in the popular coastal fishery for the rebounding species. Although still listed under the Endangered Species Act, the wild species is productive enough to support a popular sport fishery. Photo courtesy Lance Kruzic/NOAA Fisheries.