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Deep dive: How I use robots to survey coral reefs

Marine ecologist Gemma Galbraith builds remotely operated vehicles and uses them to assess how coral reefs are being affected by climate change.
By
  1. Nikki Forrester

    1. Nikki Forrester is a science journalist based in Davis, West Virginia.

In a split level shot, a small remotely operated vehicle with lights moves through clear blue water, operated by Gemma Galbraith who is standing up in a motor boat visible above the surface of the water

Gemma Galbraith is a marine ecologist at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia. Credit: Victor Huertas/Hoey Reef Ecology Lab

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“Deep coral reefs occur throughout the world and generally reach depths of up to 150 metres. They host different ecological communities from the shallow coral reefs that most people think of, but are relatively understudied. An analogy would be a botanist not studying any sections of the plant below the ground; ignoring deep coral reefs means missing out on understanding a big part of the habitat.

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Nature 640, 280 (2025)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-025-00936-0

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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