3 New AI Technologies Helping With Coral Reef Restoration

Coral Reef Restoration Projects

There’s fresh and exciting hope for the coral reefs of the world, thanks to robotics and artificial intelligence. Coral reef restoration is urgent. Scientists estimate that as much as 50% of the world’s reefs have been lost. A full 70% to 90% is estimated to be endangered by 2050. 

But with these new technologies, scientists may begin saying otherwise.

AI’s Role in Coral Reef Restoration

Dr. Dorian Tsai is the Lead Researcher at the Great Barrier Reef Foundation in Australia. She’s using AI technology to make exciting progress in her work to preserve coral reefs.

You may have heard of polyps. Polyps are tiny animals that are responsible for building coral reefs. Dr. Tsai and her team first grow polyps in tanks in a laboratory until they’re ready to thrive in the ocean. For the polyp’s health and success, it’s crucial that the team count and monitor them carefully. Traditionally, this has been done by hand, but it is a slow and time-consuming process.

However, trial runs on new AI technology have shown success in streamlining the process. A prototype camera uses computer vision and learning algorithms to track the polyps. The technology is so refined, that it can even count delicate day-old polyps that are too small to see with the human eye. 

Robotics’ Role in Coral Reef Restoration

Taryn Foster, founder of the Coral Maker firm, has taken the concept even further. She’s developed a robot arm that can attach the polyps to the plugs to be grafted to the dying coral reefs.

Each unique polyp must match the shape of the old coral. By using artificial intelligence to analyze the existing coral formations, it then makes the calculated decision about the best spot to place each new polyp. 

So far, all the grafts planted by the new technology are doing very well. It is expected that these robots will soon be out of the laboratory and into the sea; however, the technology is expensive and may not last well in water.

But much like solar and wind energy have been refined and are now viable to use on a large scale, it is likely that this technology will also be refined to follow.

Another AI technology Enhances the Coral Reef Environment Using Sound

Besides the AI technology used by the Great Barrier Reef Foundations is another called Passive Acoustic Monitoring. It is a tool that analyzes and plays back patterns of sounds around healthy reefs. Scientists have observed a 50% increase in the diversity of fish around coral reefs experiencing these sound patterns. With the return of critical species, the coral reefs begin to recover their health.

Why are Coral Reefs Dying?

Of the many threats to the coral reefs of the world, two main pressures are having the most widespread impact: Climate change and Ocean Acidification

• Climate Change: This is one of the biggest threats to both oyster reefs and coral reefs. The corals host a microscopic algae called zooxanthellae. Changing water temperatures cause the coral to expel the algae from their tissues. Since the algae is the source of the coral’s stunning colours, the reef quickly becomes totally white. This is known as a coral bleaching event. If the bleaching cannot be reversed, the corals won’t survive.

• Ocean Acidification: Fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and gas release carbon dioxide into the earth’s atmosphere. When the ocean waters absorb this gas, the water’s acidity levels rise. In the last 200 years, ocean acidity has increased by 30%, the fastest known change to ocean chemistry in the last 50 million years. This increased acidity causes dying coral reefs. They are left more vulnerable to destruction by predators. 

Why are Coral Reefs important?

The reefs are one of the most bio-diverse ecosystems in the world. Over a million different species inhabit these underwater worlds. Approximately 25% of all ocean species depend upon these underwater worlds.

However, the coral reefs have a more astonishing secret than we had ever imagined. There is a 400% higher likelihood of finding life-saving substances in the reefs than in any land-based ecosystem. These medicinal substances have developed as a form of self-defence and healing.

In recent years, a Caribbean reef sponge has provided a drug that has been successful in treating leukemia. A substance from another sea sponge has had remarkable results in treating breast cancer. Threats to coral reefs could very well prevent some incredible medical discoveries in the future.