Although they cover over 70% of our planet, only 0.6% of the world oceans are protected. It is estimated that we only know about 1 in 10 species in the ocean, which is unsurprising given that 90% of the ocean is more than half a mile deep and still remains largely unexplored. How might technology help us discover, understand and protect the vulnerable ecosystems below the waterline?
Marine Conservation is a fast-growing group in the WILDLABS community, capturing a wide variety of tech expertise within its member base, including those working with bioacoustic gear and hydrophones, AUVs and drones, sensors, machine learning, and more. By bringing together WILDLABS members from so many areas of conservation tech, the Marine Conservation group is the perfect place to collaborate on big, complex issues like marine biodiversity monitoring, coral reef health, plastic pollution, and sustainability.
The Marine Conservation group forum is also your place to chat about and solve the challenges unique to using conservation technology in marine environments. Whether you're struggling with deep-sea connectivity or salt water impacting gear longevity, or looking for remote solutions for long-term reef monitoring or biologging data collection, this group wants to help you explore the possibilities!
Check out some of the key marine conservation tech resources, conversations, and virtual events from across the WILDLABS platform:
Tutorials and Talks to Watch on Demand:
- Virtual Meetups: Developing cost-effective, open-source marine megafauna tracking, Jake Levenson
- Tech Tutors: How do I use open source remote sensing data to monitor fishing?, Max Schofield
- Virtual Meetups: eDNA for Aquatic Biodiversity, Alice Valentini
Case Studies, Tools, Research, and News:
- Southern Right Whales & Genome and Satellite Technology, Emma Carroll | eDNA & genomics, satellite data, biodiversity monitoring, climate change
- Building Experts Into AI, Whale Seeker | Machine learning, marine conservation, AI ethics
- Using AIS Data to Investigate the World’s Fishing Ports, Max Schofield | Remote sensing, data visualisation, fishing monitoring
- Small-scale fisheries and tech resources, Dan Steadman | Fishery monitoring, webinars, best practices
- Press Release: BAS Giant Iceberg Mission, British Antarctic Survey | Climate change, AUVs, remote sensing
- Case Study: Thermal imaging, drones, and loggerhead sea turtles, Megan Ossmann | FLIR, Duo Pro R camera, drones
- eDNA sampling to detect invasive snails in shipping ballast water, Gavin Shelton | Invasive species, eDNA, shipping
- Sustainable Fishing Challenges: Fish Catch Monitoring, Dan Steadman | Biologging, sensors, fishing monitoring
Conversations and Questions:
- Satellite tags for marine turtle recommendations | Alasdair Davies
- Calling all hydrophone users! | Team Open Acoustic Devices
- How difficult is it to build a buoy and constrain it in place? | Lindy Knowles
- Methods to detect Derelict Fishing Gear | Nandini Mehrotra
- Drone Mapping for Algal Blooms? | Harold Tay
- Minimising habitat impact of trawling gear | Dan Steadman
- Estimating carbon from 3d models of mangroves | Mark Brown
- Can we detect gillnets in turbid water? | Aurélie Shapiro
- New low cost DIY temperature loggers for reef monitoring | Harold Tay
- Machine learning to detect fish bomb blasts | Jamie Macaulay
Header Image: Emma Vogel
No showcases have been added to this group yet.
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
I study movement, behaviour and/or physiology using combine various sensors and tracking techniques. My focus is marine predators. However, my interest extends through the entire food web in all types of environment.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Technology for Wildlife Foundation
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Siren Project Executive @ African Marine Mammal Conservation Organization (AMMCO). 20+ year in technology. Polyglot. Divemaster.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
Co-founder and CEO of Goldfish.io
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 6 Groups
- @gob1thaasan
- | he/him
Gobithaasan started his career as a lecturer in 2009 and was promoted as an associate professor in 2015. His research current focus at Universiti Sains Malaysia is twofold; Topological Data Analysis and Machine Learning.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
I am a postdoctoral researcher using animal tracking technologies to investigate how chemical pollution influences fish movement and behaviour.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @Xavier_Mouy
- | he/him
I build software and hardware tools to help the analysis or the collection of passive acoustic data.
- 1 Resources
- 7 Discussions
- 6 Groups
- @SueWachia
- | she/her
A marine environmentalist with diverse experience in collaborating on multidisciplinary & community-centred marine research focused on: fisheries management, blue carbon strategies, seagrass ecosystems, & ocean literacy.
- 1 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @CarlosAbrahams
- | He/him
Baker Consultants
Director of Bioacoustics and Senior Lecturer
- 2 Resources
- 26 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @GalZanir
- | he, him
Luc Hoffman Institute
Wildlife Entrepreneur | Innovation for Nature Conservation | Systems-thinking | Web3.0 | Artificial Intelligence | Agency for nature | DAOs | Rewilding & more
- 1 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @laurenharrell
- | she/her/they/them
Data scientist/statistician working in bioacoustics and species distribution models, loves whales
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @mariolambrette
- | he/him
Master's by Research student at the University of Exeter working on AI for underwater camera surveys
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
Link
This article covers how Sofar's Spotter monitoring buoys can collect data for longer periods of time by improving battery life. According to this article, "GPS Sleep turns off Spotter’s GPS sensor during sampling dwell...
13 June 2023
Link
As we celebrate World Oceans Day this month, we are reminded that addressing climate change will take more than any one organization. It will require companies, governments, NGOs and communities, all working together,...
9 June 2023
Link
Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) explains how the innovative approaches towards curbing plastic pollution witnessed across African nations can help in pivoting to a plastics-...
5 June 2023
Link
It's World Environment Day! This year the focus is on solutions to plastic pollution under the campaign #BeatPlasticPollution. How are you getting involved to solve plastic pollution using conservation technology?
5 June 2023
Careers
Cefas is seeking a Director to lead the development and application of innovative, data-driven approaches for marine and freshwater monitoring efforts.
2 June 2023
Article
Ashored Innovations: Hardware and Software for Sustainable Fishing
Ashored Innovations
In this Conservation Tech Showcase case study from Ashored Innovations, we’ll learn how conservation technology is transforming fishing techniques to safeguard marine wildlife.
1 June 2023
Article
Data Visualization in Service of Coral Reefs in Micronesia
Andrzej Białaś
This Data4Good project has led to immediate conservation impacts for many islands and many different resources. We hope that this project will inspire others to use data science and technology to solve the conservation...
17 May 2023
Article
Happywhale: AI-Powered Whale Identification
Ellie Warren
In this Conservation Tech Showcase case study from Happywhale, you’ll learn about how AI tools are helping researchers and citizen scientists identify and protect humpback whales.
16 May 2023
Funding
Deadline Approaching: Conservation Tech Award
Jordan Steward
Are you using or creating tech to protect wildlife? We want to support your organization through two $15,000 grants!
15 May 2023
Article
Photo Quadrats, AI, and MERMAID: A Case Study from Mozambique
Esther Githinji
How can you use tools like photo quadrats, AI, and MERMAID together? We share an example overview of how WCS Staff in Mozambique use image classification tools with MERMAID to integrate photo quadrat and other coral...
12 May 2023
Article
Introducing the 2023 Conservation Tech Showcase
Ellie Warren
Welcome to our new Conservation Tech Showcase, a series highlighting innovative and impactful projects from outstanding organizations around the world.
11 May 2023
Link
New Paper: Identification of fish sounds
Ellie Warren
Xavier Mouy recently shared this new bioacoustics paper on Twitter. This research focuses on identifying fish sounds in relation to specific species through the use of three underwater portable audio-video platforms....
5 May 2023
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
March 2026
November 2023
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hello everyone, I'm interested in gathering insights on how the behavior of different species impacts the development and efficacy of... |
|
Animal Movement, Acoustics, Camera Traps, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation | 1 year 4 months ago | |
| Hi all, I am searching for marine species projects that monitor orientation/IMU and/or acceleration data... |
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Animal Movement, Marine Conservation | 1 year 5 months ago | |
| Hi Scott, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts here! It would be great to learn more about this, would you be interested in finding a time to chat? Thanks! |
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Marine Conservation, Sustainable Fishing Challenges, Wildlife Crime | 1 year 5 months ago | |
| Ah yes. I didn’t notice that. Indeed it’s “near infrared”, 850nm lighting. |
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Camera Traps, Marine Conservation | 1 year 5 months ago | |
| Thanks Aude, very useful. Will reach out to them! |
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Early Career, Acoustics, eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools | 1 year 7 months ago | |
| Thank you for sharing! Super interesting, as we don't see many underwater stereo cameras! We also use Blue Robotics components in our projects and have found them reliable and... |
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Sensors, Camera Traps, Marine Conservation | 1 year 7 months ago | |
| If you are considering an external microphone and a towed system, then you would also be in a position to consider a raspberry pi with an external microphone with sbts-aru.... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Marine Conservation, Sustainable Fishing Challenges | 1 year 7 months ago | |
| Hi Eva, Me and my colleagues run a small NGO based on Yogyakarta in Indonesia, although our projects are spread around the country. One of our active project is working with... |
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Community Base, Animal Movement, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Marine Conservation, Geospatial | 1 year 7 months ago | |
| My suggestion would probably be a 3D printer and Solder Station with a stock of common components. With those two things you can solve most problems. |
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Community Base, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors | 1 year 8 months ago | |
| Hey Stephanie,Thanks a lot! Sorry I missed your message but of course I can ask our users about their experience with sensors! |
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Animal Movement, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools | 1 year 10 months ago | |
| I agree, this would be great for canopy work! |
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Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Camera Traps, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation | 2 years ago | |
| Steve Simpson (on behalf of collaborator @MilesParsons) joined our June Variety Hour to give a report from the Wolrd Oceans Passive... |
|
Acoustics, Marine Conservation | 2 years 1 month ago |
