This seems like it's just color fixing using stereographic distance modeling and a known reference palette. I'm not sure what is new or novel about this? Maybe it's just new to oceanographic photography?
The publication shows that it is not a simple colour correction: http://openaccess.thecvf.com/content_CVPR_2019/papers/Akkayn...
Example: https://imgur.com/a/h3uFu4z
It's a lot of effort for very little, if any, visible difference.
That simple, huh?
> Once trained, the color chart is no longer necessary. As Akkaynak helpfully explained on Reddit, “All you need is multiple images of the scene under natural light, no color chart necessary.”
On Reddit:
> Just a clarification: the method does NOT require the use of a color chart. That part was not clear in the video. All you need is multiple images of the scene under natural light, no color chart necessary.
They are only talking about reefs though, which means tropical ocean water. Coral don't thrive in muddy water.
Once the chart is back to its exact color, the image can be considered corrected (at least for this distance, illumination…).
If the algorithm brings the chart back to its true colors at several distances and in various conditions, then it can be applied confidently on images without a chart.