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Though they only cover about 1% of the world’s oceans, coral reefs are a vital component of our global ecosystem, according to NOAA. Home to at least 25% of all marine life, the reefs protect shorelines from storms, provide food to fishermen, are a potential source of new medicines and a massive economic boon through tourism (Australia’s Great Barrier Reef injects more than $6 billion to the economy each year).
But corals are increasingly threatened by our changing climate. The increase in atmospheric carbon emissions — which are, in part, absorbed by the oceans — is causing an increase both in water temperature and ocean acidification, which is weakening and killing corals.
As in many areas of conservation, researchers are turning to technology as a means of improving their capacity to protect coral reefs. A team of Australian researchers launched a project that aims to combine all global data about coral reefs with machine learning models and remote sensing to build better predictive algorithms to aid coral conservation efforts around the world.
Historically, a lack of organized and quality data regarding corals has been an impediment to the application of large-scale machine-learning approaches. This project aims, in part, to overcome that.
With enough of the right data, some machine learning systems are able to detect and monitor specific features of a given coral, while others are capable of predicting environmental changes that might negatively impact a coral reef.
Why it matters: These predictions will enable researchers to intervene more quickly, giving conservationists a greater chance of keeping endangered corals alive.
AI for Good: Coral reefs
