LiDAR down under: measuring the ocean using lasers

  Host: Professor David Spence

  Wednesday 25 November 2026, 6.15pm – 7.30pm 

  Theatre G25, Michael Kirby Building, 17 Wally’s Walk, Macquarie University

Overview

While satellites provide global maps of the ocean's surface, they remain blind to the complex layers hidden deep underwater, limiting our ability to monitor the true health of our blue planet. This talk introduces a new generation of Ocean LiDAR, a technology that uses laser pulses to "see" into the depths and map water properties that were previously invisible from above. You’ll follow the journey from benchtop experiments and makeshift tanks in the lab through to a full prototype capable of remotely measuring detailed profiles beneath the surface. We will explain how using multiple colors of laser light allows us to distinguish between microscopic marine life and physical changes, enabling us to profile phytoplankton and measure water temperature remotely. Finally, we will share the story of our recent voyage aboard the CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator, where we tested this technology against the challenges of the open ocean.

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Biography

Prof David Spence, Prof Helen Pask, A.Prof James Downes, and Dr Ondrej Kitzler. We are a team of researchers from MQ Photonics bringing together a combined total of more than 100 years of research experience in laser and sensing, signal processing, optical modelling, and optical oceanography. Our research has spanned the full range from fundamental science discovery, collaboration with companies, patent licensing for commercial products, and spin out companies. This ocean LiDAR project was started more than a decade ago by Prof Pask with the seed of an idea, and now with the broader team is getting closer to being a commercial technology.