Using Virtual Reality in Sea Level Rise Planning and Community Engagement—An Overview

New Method for Rapid 3D Reconstruction of Semi-Transparent Underwater Animals and Structures

Morphological features are the primary identifying properties of most animals and key to many comparative physiological studies, yet current techniques for preservation and documentation of soft-bodied marine animals are limited in terms of quality and accessibility. Digital records can complement physical specimens, with a wide array of applications ranging from species description to kinematics modeling, but options are lacking for creating models of soft-bodied semi-transparent underwater animals. We developed a lab-based technique that can live-scan semi-transparent, submerged animals, and objects within seconds. To demonstrate the method, we generated full three-dimensional reconstructions (3DRs) of an object of known dimensions for verification, as well as two live marine animals-a siphonophore and an amphipod-allowing detailed measurements on each. Techniques like these pave the way for faster data capture, integrative and comparative quantitative approaches, and more accessible collections of fragile and rare biological samples.

Editorial: Adaptation to Coastal Climate Change and Sea-Level Rise

Climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every inhabited region across the globe [...]