Coralinset

Coralinset is a standardized framework for documenting coral reef observations that combines conventional field survey data with a set of high-resolution inset imagery. The name blends coral with inset, signaling its aim to embed detailed close-ups within broader geospatial records. It is used to facilitate consistent data capture, sharing, and analysis across research groups and monitoring programs.

The framework envisions a modular dataset consisting of a core record of location, date, transect or site identifier, species identifications, percent cover, colony counts, health indicators, and environmental context, plus one or more image insets linked to each observation. Insets are captured at predefined scales and angles to document morphology, coloration, and bleaching indicators, with metadata on camera, lighting, and depth. The data schema supports both human-readable metadata and machine-readable fields, typically expressed via a JSON-based Coralinset Core (CCore) or equivalent XML schema, and includes references to external image assets.

Coralinset is designed to improve reproducibility, enable machine learning workflows for species recognition, and support decision-making in reef management and restoration. It is used in academic studies, government monitoring programs, and citizen science projects, often integrated with GIS platforms and remote-sensing products.

History and adoption: The term and format were introduced in the late 2010s as part of marine-data standardization efforts; multiple community-led implementations and validators have emerged, with ongoing development to accommodate global reef diversity and data privacy concerns.

See also: coral reef, biodiversity data standard, GIS in marine science.