Application of hyperspectral imaging technology in coral reef health monitoring

Global coral reef ecosystems are increasingly threatened by intensifying bleaching events and population declines, underscoring the urgent need for timely, accurate monitoring to support their protection. Traditional monitoring approaches, such as diver-based visual surveys and RGB imaging, are often limited by subjectivity, labor intensity, and delayed response capabilities. In contrast, hyperspectral imaging technology offers nanoscale spectral resolution, capable of detecting subtle physiological changes in corals, thereby enabling early warning and significantly improving the range, efficiency, objectivity, and accuracy of reef monitoring. Although the existing literature has made significant progress in technical verification and case applications, most studies tend to focus on demonstrating technological potential while still lacking sufficient analysis of the intrinsic mechanisms of models, sources of uncertainty, and robustness in real-world, complex environments. This review systematically examines the research and applications of hyperspectral imaging in coral reef health monitoring, including its underlying mechanisms, factors influencing identification accuracy, and data processing methods. It also elaborates on the critical contradiction among high-precision physiological parameter inversion, large-scale dynamic monitoring, and low-cost long-term deployment. It also provides an in-depth discussion of the challenges facing current technological development and future research directions. Overall, this review provides an overview and perspective on the application of hyperspectral imaging in coral reef health monitoring, thereby supporting related scientific research and practical applications.