PROJECT OVERVIEW

IMAGE 2

The IMAGE2 project directly supports Canada’s national goals for ocean conservation and sustainable resource management.



Funding

Department Fisheries & Oceans Canada



Location

Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada



Product

Discovery Stereo Inspection Series



Industry

Ocean Sciences

DELIVERABLE

3D Model

A 3D model of the recently discovered Coral Garden within the Funk Island Marine Refuge—an ecologically significant area off the coast of Newfoundland, generated with Voyis Discovery Inspection Series.

The IMAGE2 project directly supports Canada’s national goals for ocean conservation and sustainable resource management. By enabling more accessible and scalable monitoring of sensitive marine habitats, the project contributes to improved governance of marine spaces through advanced science and stakeholder engagement.

The developed solution was operationally validated through a 3D survey of the newly discovered Coral Garden within the Funk Island Marine Refuge—an ecologically significant area off the coast of Newfoundland. This region features delicate cold-water coral structures, whose physical complexity and biodiversity require careful, non-intrusive observation. The Voyis Discovery Stereo Camera captured detailed optical data that will be processed into complete, georeferenced 3D reconstructions of the site.

Voyis’ optical imaging system not only provides high-resolution video and stills but also generates true-scale 3D models of the seafloor environment. This volumetric data gives researchers and conservation authorities the ability to assess coral distribution, reef health, and habitat structure with unprecedented accuracy.

These reconstructions offer more than just visual representation, they establish a critical baseline for long term ecosystem monitoring. The ability to revisit and compare the same coral formations over time supports efforts to track environmental change, measure human impact, and guide protection measures for vulnerable marine ecosystems.

As part of the project’s commitment to transparency and accessibility, all collected data, including 3D models and ecological insights, will be made publicly available. This initiative promotes collaboration across scientific institutions, policymakers, and coastal communities.

DELIVERABLE

Education & Research

The Marine Institute played a crucial role in executing the field survey and will also host a workshop to disseminate the project results. This educational component of the project aims to empower students, researchers, and conservation professionals with the knowledge and tools to apply advanced imaging technologies in their own work. The workshop, to be held at The Launch, the Marine Institute’s ocean innovation hub in Holyrood, will feature hands-on demonstrations, breakout sessions, and discussions on the future of subsea monitoring.

STILLS IMAGES & LASER DATA

Gallery

A selection of high-resolution images that allow governments and organizations to map and identify glass sponge reefs.

PROJECT

Partners

Funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) through the Oceans Management Contribution Program, this initiative builds upon the success of the original IMAGE project, where Voyis demonstrated the effectiveness of deploying high-resolution underwater optical sensors on small ROVs to monitor Sponge Reef Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) off the coast of British Columbia.

In IMAGE2, the focus shifted toward enhancing this capability by developing a fully integrated, built in Canada subsea survey solution that is cost effective, portable, and scientifically robust. The project was conducted in partnership with two leading Canadian ocean sector organizations: MarineNav Ltd. and the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University. Together, the partners created a compact ROV-based platform, combining MarineNav’s Oceanus ROV with Voyis’ Discovery Stereo Camera.