Publication Date
Spring 2026
Degree Type
Master's Project
Degree Name
Master of Science in Bioinformatics (MSBI)
Department
Computer Science
First Advisor
Dr. Philip Heller
Second Advisor
Dr. Nada Attar
Third Advisor
Dr. William Andreopoulos
Keywords
Coral bleaching, coral reef restoration, marine biodiversity, machine learning, computer vision, image segmentation
Abstract
Coral reefs are a crucial hotspot of marine biodiversity and a foundational provider of ocean services that humanity depends upon. Increases in ocean temperature correlate with increased rates of coral bleaching in reefs, which can lead to coral deaths if conditions persist too long and far from the norm. Various restoration methods have been developed to promote coral survivability under temperature increases caused by climate change, by breeding corals to increase both immediate tolerance and adaptive genetic variation to tolerate future changes. Restoration methods must be able to keep up with the projected conditions brought on by climate change in the near future in order to make a viable difference towards coral survivability in the longer term. Using machine learning and computer vision tools, image data from these selective breeding experiments can be quantified and analyzed at a larger scale, in order to keep pace with the magnitude of projected changes.
Recommended Citation
Saito, Patricia, "Machine Learning, Computer Vision, and Corals" (2026). Master's Projects. 1746.
https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/etd_projects/1746
