An extensive literature review on underwater image colour correction

Abstract

The topic of underwater (UW) image colour correction and restoration has gained significant scientific interest in the last couple of decades. There are a vast number of disciplines, from marine biology to archaeology, that can and need to utilise the true information of the UW environment. Based on that, a significant number of scientists have contributed to the topic of UW image colour correction and restoration. In this paper, we try to make an unbiased and extensive review of some of the most significant contributions from the last 15 years. After considering the optical properties of water, as well as light propagation and haze that is caused by it, the focus is on the different methods that exist in the literature. The criteria for which most of them were designed, as well as the quality evaluation used to measure their effectiveness, are underlined.