Art meets science as coral reefs judged on 'beauty'

By Peter Spinks
Updated November 22 2015 - 10:08am, first published November 10 2015 - 11:00pm
Kingman reef is half way between the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. The image shows an example of a nearly pristine and healthy reef system with an aesthetic score of 5.40 (the smaller the number the more aesthetic the reefscape).  Photo: Jennifer Smith/Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
Kingman reef is half way between the Hawaiian Islands and American Samoa. The image shows an example of a nearly pristine and healthy reef system with an aesthetic score of 5.40 (the smaller the number the more aesthetic the reefscape). Photo: Jennifer Smith/Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Is beauty measurable? Marine scientists believe so – and that appearance alone can be used to check the health of the world's coral reefs.

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