$10k raised for underwater 'RapidCam' deployment at Rapid Bay


 A 3 month long crowdfund campaign to deploy an underwater camera at Rapid Bay has ended. 116 generous donors raised $10,064 just surpassing the $10,000 target.

AusOcean will now start constructing the underwater camera which will be deployed on the old Rapid Bay jetty structure. The funds raised will cover all material and data costs which will keep the camera running for three years. The camera has no antifoul so will rely on divers to keep the lens clean.

Rapid Bay is popular with divers and snorkelers, including a growing number of interstate and international tourists looking for the elusive leafy seadragon. Now, divers can go for a 'virtual dive' immersing themselves underwater no matter where they are in the world.

Through live access to the ocean, AusOcean want's to connect you with a magical piece of the underwater environment right here in South Australia. The camera will stream live which means you can tune in and see what's happening below from the comfort of your lounge rooms in real-time. This is particularly valuable at a time where travel is very unpredictable.

AusOcean hopes this will be the first of many underwater cameras  deployed around the Great Southern Reef showcasing southern Australia's rich marine diversity.

AusOcean is a not-for-profit ocean research organisation that supports open source practices. Open source approaches to tackling environmental issues means embracing collaborative tools and workflows which enables processes and progress to be fully transparent. A critical aspect of working open is sharing data not only with your immediate team but with others across the world who can learn, adapt and contribute to collective research. By contributing to, and supporting open practices within the scientific community, we can accelerate research and encourage transparency. All tech assembly guides can be found at https://www.ausocean.org/technology

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