With so much ocean to cover, the herculean task of mapping and restoring coral reef/marine biodiversity can be tamed by technology.
A social enterprise that restores and protects marine ecosystems worldwide, has engaged digital transformation to scale its coral reef restoration in a Marine Protected Area of the Coral Triangle in Malaysia.
Coral reef restoration helps protect and preserve critically important and endangered wildlife, while supporting the economic independence of coastal communities in terms of food security and employment linked to tourism and fisheries.
To improve operational efficiency in this challenging enterprise, Tēnaka has partnered with tech firms to tap into fully automated data sets — from collection to visualization — leveraging AI-based data analysis.
This near real-time data-driven approach enhances the capabilities of Tēnaka’s operations. Data and images are delivered directly to scientists ashore, which means researchers will be able to access data around the clock, and spend more time restoring degrading coral reefs.
Explained Anne-Sophie Roux, Founder of Tēnaka: “Regenerating the ocean is the best solution we have to mitigate the climate and biodiversity crisis. By leveraging technology, Orange Business brings critical expertise for us to scale our operations and reach a global impact.”
The project involves the use of a marine research station composed of an underwater monitoring device with waterproof 360-degree-view cameras attached to a solar-powered floating buoy with processing and transmission capabilities. This research station connects to the local 4G mobile network with a SIM card to facilitate transfers of images daily to a cloud tenant. The SIM card, cloud service, and the security of the data transfer to the cloud, is managed by Orange Business, as well as the cloud-based AI algorithm used to automatically recognize and quantify various species of fish, invertebrates, and megafauna in the image data.
Said Kristof Symons, CEO International, Orange Business: “We wanted to be part of the solution for an environmental challenge. Our employees worldwide support Tēnaka for its inspiring initiative in preserving and rehabilitating coral ecosystems – and one where our technology and digital services can really make a difference to create a positive impact.”
