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.
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Conservation scientist and ecologist
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- 7 Groups
- @mphamilton
- | he/him
University of California
retired Field Station Director, very early adopter of conservation technologies
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- 1 Discussions
- 14 Groups
- @TaikiSan
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- 0 Resources
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- 5 Groups
Marine and Behavioural Biologist
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- 1 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @c_malinka
- | she/her
bioacoustics, passive acoustics, biologging
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @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.
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- 3 Groups
- @guitarfishmasum
- | He/His
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
Wildlife Biologist and Marine Conservationist
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- 18 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.
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- 17 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
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- 7 Groups
- @sfregosi
- | she/her
bioacoustician
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- 5 Groups
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We are developing a project in Thailand, using drones to locate lost & discarded fishing gear across Koh Phangan, Thailand. We're 86% there & only need $1500 to get us over the line. If you can help us, we...
18 December 2022
Careers
Join NASA’s harmful algal bloom ML challenge and win prizes!
Katie Wetstone
Using satellite imagery to detect and classify the severity of cyanobacteria blooms in small, inland water bodies.
15 December 2022
Article
New: Satellites for Biodiversity Award
Emma Oldham
Conservation partnership launches new award to advance biodiversity conservation from space
5 December 2022
Article
Underwater Camera Trap Video Confirms 1,100-Mile (1800-km) Swim of Tagged Great White Shark
Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
First known baited underwater video match of an individual white shark, based on facial scars and other unique features White shark undertakes 1,100-mile (1800-km) transboundary swim from South Africa to Mozambique
25 October 2022
Careers
Shark Lab Data Analyst
Carly Batist
This position (at California State University, Long Beach) provides data management & analysis support to Shark Lab research operations including shark tagging, active tracking, receiver data, AUV & UAV data...
24 October 2022
Link
"We develop the use of benthic species as animal oceanographers by combining archival (depth, temperature) data from animal-borne tags, passive acoustic telemetry & citizen-science mark-recapture records for the...
10 October 2022
Article
Oregon State University researchers have developed a new satellite tag that allows them to better track whales’ behavior, including previously unobservable feeding events during dives.
4 October 2022
Article
The device could help scientists explore unknown regions of the ocean, track pollution, or monitor the effects of climate change.
26 September 2022
Link
Authors demonstrated "a low cost, simple method to support acoustic tag surveys by identifying tags both from direct acoustic recordings & by reconstructing code packets from processed C-POD data. Method was applied...
26 September 2022
Funding
Explore BOEM data, build analytic tools, and recommend solutions for sea turtle relocation trawling approaches to reduce incidental risk. Prize: $40,000
21 September 2022
Link
Authors "developed a three-hydrophone passive acoustic monitoring system that provides bearing information along with marine mammal detections to allow for informed management decisions in real-time."
20 September 2022
Careers
Tenure track position in Marine Biology
12 September 2022
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
March 2026
July 2023
June 2023
event
Stephanie O'Donnell
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| want to join 2025 contest for humpback whale photos in Juneo Alaska of Kelp |
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Citizen Science, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Drones, Emerging Tech, Geospatial, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions | 2 days 21 hours ago | |
| Hi Elsa, We have used InVEST for a pollinator project we supported (the crop pollination model - details here), and looking to using it more for marine and coastal... |
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Geospatial, Software Development, Climate Change, Funding and Finance, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions | 1 week ago | |
| Wow this is amazing! This is how we integrate Biology and Information Technology. |
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Camera Traps, AI for Conservation, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Data management and processing tools, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Geospatial | 2 weeks 5 days ago | |
| G-DiNC 2026: Global Drones in Nature Conservation Symposium & ExpoNairobi & Naivasha, Kenya | March 3–6,... |
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Drones, AI for Conservation, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation, Sensors | 1 month ago | |
| Play FathomVerse: App Store | Google Play Join the Community: Discord | Instagram | TikTok | LinkedInStay up-to-date: ... |
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Marine Conservation, AI for Conservation, Citizen Science | 4 months 2 weeks ago | |
| I create ocean exploration and marine life content on YouTube, whether it be recording nautilus on BRUVs, swimming with endangered bowmouth... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Drones, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation, Sensors, Sustainable Fishing Challenges, Wildlife Crime | 1 month 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi WILDLABS Community! I have started mapping the project for the Gulf of America Dead Zone and here are some photos of the progress. In the last picture, I have... |
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Climate Change, Marine Conservation, Wildlife Crime | 1 month 3 weeks ago | |
| Hello WILDLABS!We are very excited and grateful to be recipients of one of the WILDLABS 2025.I (Tom Knowles, @TomKnowles) am currently a... |
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Acoustics, Marine Conservation | 2 months ago | |
| I would love to hear updates on this if you have a mailing list or list of intersted parties! |
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AI for Conservation, Community Base, Drones, Latin America Community, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Software Development | 2 months ago | |
| Gina- Sounds like an interesting thesis topic! I work with bioacoustics in offshore waters and I'd be happy to have a chat and provide feedback-- feel free to message me via... |
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Emerging Tech, Acoustics, Connectivity, Marine Conservation, Sensors | 2 months ago | |
| Hi, My name is Gina. I'm currently working on my Bachelor's Thesis and would like some feedback on my final concept. It is a ... |
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Acoustics, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation, Sensors, Women in Conservation Tech Programme (WiCT) | 2 months 1 week ago | |
| p.s. https://environmentjob.co.uk/jobs has internships searchable for any location, not just UK. |
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Geospatial, Early Career, Marine Conservation | 2 months 2 weeks ago |
