This week was mostly about troubleshooting and preparation. I tested the new welded camera stand and took some trial images of the experimental plot using the Olympus underwater camera. I quickly realized the autofocus was locking onto the closest Acropora branches, leaving the rest of the 1 × 1 meter plot blurry. Since photogrammetry depends on sharp, overlapping images, I spent time learning more about camera settings. I found that using a smaller aperture, a faster shutter speed, and locking the focus manually should help keep the entire plot in focus and produce better 3D models.

While working through the camera issues, we also painted the new camera stand. Unfortunately, the paint was applied too thickly, so it stayed tacky longer than expected and delayed more testing. In the meantime, the team stayed busy by collecting corals of opportunity to fill the Chole West nursery and adding new nursery ropes.

Even though I wasn't able to move ahead with photogrammetry as planned, the week reminded me that field research is often about solving unexpected problems. Taking the time to understand my equipment now should make data collection much more reliable in the weeks ahead.