Many institutions and organisations have supported this research.

Thanks to my mentors at the Bauhaus-University Weimar Prof Sven Schneider (Chair of Computer Science in Architecture, Bauhaus University Weimar), Prof Jan Willman (Faculty of Theory and History of Design, Bauhaus University Weimar), and Prof Max Welch Guerra (Mentor Studienstiftung). Thanks to Prof Jane Burry (Swinburne University Melbourne), Dr Thomas J. Goreau (Global Coral Reef Alliance), John W. Koster (Ocean Sciences Department, University of California), Jan Olthoff (Siemens Industry Software GmbH), Bert van der Togt (Baars CIPRO), Dr Georg Nies (Unterwasserfotografie Deutschland, GeNieS GmbH), Delphine Robbe (Gili EcoTrust), Steve Willard (Dive Central Gili), Dr Philipp Semenchuk (Department of Conservation Biology, Vegetation and Landscape Ecology, University of Vienna), and the local community for a fruitful (underwater) collaboration outside of the box.

This research was financially supported by a doctoral fellowship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Andrea von Braun Foundation.