When most surfers think of Scripps, the image that comes to mind is of a closed out pier waves that can get good on big windswells. But for surfer / scientists Clinton Edwards and Clifford Kapono this is just a place to go to work.

Clint’s lab is pioneering large scale imagery that they use to to study the shape and formation of corals reefs while Clifford uses special chemical analysis that allows him to determine the health or individual corals. Their work is preeminent in their respective fields…but they are dreaming of something more. Together they produced a short video and applied to a National Geographic foundation grant that will allow them to travel to the worlds most famous waves and perform these studies underneath our favorite waves. Far from just another study destined to gather dust on shelves the images they produce are massive (think Google Earth) and highly detailed (extreme close up) and will allow surfers and non surfers alike an unprecedented opportunity to explore and interact with these reefs. Complimented with their chemical analysis, the pair aim to bring coral reef knowledge out of text books, across the ocean and home your living room.

They need you vote to win. Voting closes Sept 29 and you can vote once each day., so click here to watch their video submission and VOTE: Through The Surface