A new study borrowed image-analysis methods from engineering to spot the minute movements of a stony coral.

Tracking signs of stress and ill health is difficult because corals — an animal host coexisting with algae, bacteria, viruses and fungi — are dynamic organisms that behave differently depending on what’s happening in their environment. Some scientists wonder if recording changes in coral movements over time could help with monitoring a coral reef’s health.

This is not always a straightforward task. Some coral species wave and pulse in the current, but others have rock-like skeletons and may have movements that are not visible to the human eye. A new study led by University of Washington researchers borrowed image-analysis methods from engineering to spot the minute movements of a stony coral.

The team published these results April 8 in Scientific Reports.

«In mechanics, we have to be able to measure imperceptible deformations in materials and structures to understand how much load these systems are experiencing and to predict potential failures,» said co-senior author Jinkyu Yang, a UW associate professor of aeronautics and astronautics. «We thought we could use these same analysis methods to study living systems, such as corals.»

First the researchers needed to find the right coral species to test.

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Materials provided by University of Washington. Original written by Sarah McQuate. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.