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
- @LauraRodriguez
- | Laura
I am a Marine biologist, Conservationist, and National Geographic Explorer. I am interested in developing technologies for marine research, exploration, and solutions to environmental problems. I have worked in bioprospecting and looking for by-products from macroalgae.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @guitarfishmasum
- | He/His
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Wildlife Biologist and Marine Conservationist
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 19 Groups
- @marusuffern
- | She/her
Passionate and curious about nature and its diversity, I seek to learn more about conservation, new technologies, and the unknown and infinite environmental world.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 18 Groups
- @RBauermeister
- | He/Him
Android/Full Stack Engineer working with a major company but wanting more for the world he lives in. I'm a long time hiker, camper, wildlife volunteer and animal foster parent who just wants to stop feeling like I'm on the sidelines while the things I love disappear.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @sfregosi
- | she/her
bioacoustician
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @lucchini.karen
- | She/Her
PhD Student at the Post Graduate Programme in Animal Biology at Federal University of Pernambuco. Biologist at the National Centre of Research and Conservation of Aquatic Mammals (ICMBio/CMA).
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 5 Groups
Developer of the Android app DC Dolphin Communicator, and others
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 10 Groups
- @crillahan
- | He/Him
I am a research associate at the University of Massachusetts School for Marine Science and Technology. My research focuses on developing technology to study fish behavior. I work closely with state/federal management agencies, commercial fishing and offshore wind industries.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
I am a Conservation Biologist managing a portfolio of species conservation projects. My current focus is raptors but I also have experience working with large marine mammals and sea birds. My research interests are on evaluating the effectiveness of conservation interventions.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 6 Groups
World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
Article
New app aims to take a bite out of illegal shark fin trade
Conservation International
Powered by artificial intelligence, a new app called Fin Finder enables customs inspectors to take a photo of a shark or ray fin and identify it within seconds. Developed by Conservation International in partnership...
14 June 2022
Article
Hundreds of tons of the toxic chemical have likely littered the ocean floor near Santa Catalina Island for decades.
4 June 2022
Article
"A drone emitting orca sounds will be used in attempt to guide the animal, whose health is fast deteriorating"
1 June 2022
June 2025
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
July 2023
June 2023
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi Brett, I am interested in developing really low cost multi channel underwater acoustic recorders. Can you tell me a bit more about the board and stuff you were using... |
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Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Acoustics, Camera Traps, Climate Change, East Africa Community, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools | 7 months ago | |
| Hey Xavier! Thank you for your interest and question!! The overarching goal of the FinDrop v1 for the WildLabs award is to characterize an instrument and make it as, if... |
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Acoustics, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Sustainable Fishing Challenges | 8 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Filipo,It has been a while since you created this post. I just joined the community, looking for AI tools that would speed up BRUV data processing. I am currently working as a... |
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Marine Conservation | 9 months ago | |
| Hi all,maybe it helps 😉 My free manual 'Drones in Biomonitoring' - https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8077113 can help to get (more) knowledge how to proceed easily and successfully... |
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Drones, Marine Conservation, Wildlife Crime | 9 months 1 week ago | |
| Hi César, Is there a geographic area you're limited to? That would help to narrow down options. I would recommend reaching out perhaps to the Kitzes Lab, Sound Forest... |
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Acoustics, Citizen Science, Community Base, Early Career, Marine Conservation | 9 months 2 weeks ago | |
| @cmwainaina please take a look |
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Animal Movement, AI for Conservation, Camera Traps, Connectivity, Data management and processing tools, East Africa Community, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Human-Wildlife Conflict, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Geospatial, Sensors, Software Development | 10 months ago | |
| A community device isn’t just about the technology; it’s also about creating a collaborative community. Shout out to all innovators... |
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Animal Movement, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Sensors | 10 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Fantastic!! |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Community Base, Early Career, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions | 11 months 2 weeks ago | |
| 🌊🐋 Join the Coastal and Marine Wildlife Working Group of The Wildlife Society! 🦈🐢Are you passionate about marine wildlife... |
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Marine Conservation | 11 months 4 weeks ago | |
| Hello guys,I'm looking into the topic of measuring species vulnerability to overharvesting of species in trade. I am exploring existing... |
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Ending Wildlife Trafficking Online, Marine Conservation, Wildlife Crime | 1 year ago | |
| We are ready to make efforts on materials, but today there are few solutions available. Today, our partners' R&D efforts are focused on renewable energies and the energy... |
+4
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Animal Movement, Marine Conservation | 1 year ago | |
| We could always use more contributors in open source projects. In most open source companies Red Hat, Anaconda, Red Hat and Mozilla, people often ended up getting hired largely... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Early Career, Marine Conservation | 1 year 1 month ago |
