Updated yesterday at 11:19pm
Link to the Full Article Here
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-30/ningaloo-reef-captured-from-sky-in-drone-driven-health-check/8224180

A high-definition camera and drone have captured an aerial view of Western Australia's Ningaloo Reef in an effort to monitor the health of the pristine region.

Queensland University of Technology researchers scanned 40 hectares of Ningaloo Reef, the largest existing fringing reef in the world, over 30 minutes, 100 metres above the sea surface.

Lead researcher Associate Professor Felipe Gonzalez said the data would help build a fingerprint of the reef, showing coral, sand, algae and other species.

Checking the health of an area so vast and isolated as the marine park was not cheap or easy but the drone technology is changing that.

Photo: A hyperspectral camera was used in the project to collect data in 270 colour bands, which is far more than the human eye can see. (Supplied: Queensland University of Technology)