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.
- @NevilleCLS
- | He/Him
CLS (Collecte Localisation Satellites)
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 14 Groups
- @kenadyWilson
- | she/her
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
I am the executive director of FishEye Collaborative, a non-profit developing underwater bioacoustic technologies and methods to grow our understanding of marine ecosystems.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 6 Groups
- 0 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 8 Groups
- @AudreyLooby
- | she/her
University of Victoria
I am Banting postdoctoral fellow at the University of Victoria, focusing on coastal soundscape ecology and underwater noise pollution. I am also one of the co-leads of FishSounds.net.
- 1 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 5 Groups
- @stefan_istrate
- | he/him
Machine Learning Researcher & Nature Photographer. Building conservation tech for biodiversity monitoring at Wildlife Insights.
- 0 Resources
- 5 Discussions
- 9 Groups
- @MattyD797
- | He/Him
PhD Student | Cornell University | Smithsonian Institution; My focus is in computational ecology within fishery acoustics
- 0 Resources
- 16 Discussions
- 12 Groups
University of St Andrews
I am a Senior Lecturer at the University of St Andrews, Scotland. My research is focused on developing acoustic species classifiers for marine mammals worldwide.
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 6 Groups
- @bellariskytaa
- | Her
Hi, I am Bella R. Arinda, a GIS Specialist passionate about conservation and community empowerment. Graduating with a degree in Geodetic Engineering gave me a strong foundation in GIS and remote sensing. I made the leap from engineering to conservation, dedicating myself to using
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @ConnieWhiting
- | She/They
University of Cambridge
PhD at Cambridge Zoology, working in Cichlid plasticity and evolution
- 0 Resources
- 2 Discussions
- 3 Groups
- @mr.kite
- | he/him
Environmental Specialist working with bird surveys and impact assessment. Here I'm focused on acoustic recording technologies and acoustic data analysis for birds.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 8 Groups
We strive to shine a light on the achievements of bioacoustics research in Africa. We work towards equal representation and access to crucial learning, training, and networking opportunities in bioacoustics in Africa.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Careers
Postdoc: Noise Impacts on Marine Animals
Carly Batist
Mystic Aquarium is seeking a Postdoctoral Investigator (PDI) to address noise impacts on aquatic species, particularly beluga whales, seals and turtles. This project will develop & carry out research to address...
1 September 2022
Careers
Seeking interested individuals with qualifications and educational background and experience in marine species biology/ecology (marine mammals, sea turtles, fish, seabirds, etc.); with skills in applied scientific study...
31 August 2022
Careers
We are looking for an international consultant to develop and implement the SMART System for São Tomé and Principe terrestrial and marine ecosystems in Portuguese
31 August 2022
Careers
Acoustics Modeler & Analyst, Marine Acoustics Inc
Stephanie O'Donnell
Marine Acoustics, Inc. (MAI) is seeking an Acoustic Modeler and Analyst to assist us in the analysis of underwater acoustic system performance and the effect underwater acoustic transmissions have on the marine...
30 August 2022
Careers
Opportunity: Commercial Director
Ellie Warren
SafetyNet Technologies is seeking a new Commercial Director to help them scale up their conservation tech hardware product development.
12 August 2022
Careers
The Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing (MaRRS) Lab at Duke University seeks a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to support the ongoing development of new and existing research and conservation programs, both...
10 August 2022
Link
Sydney seals: From Manly to Malabar, marine life sprawls across a city
Stephanie O'Donnell
This came to me by way of my dad over the weekend, but it's is full of familiar names and has started popping up from other places in the conservation tech network. It's a gorgeous visual story via The Sydney Morning...
8 August 2022
Careers
Under the direction of Dr. Ari Friedlaender, the postdoc will conduct field work & manage data analysis related to ongoing biologging projects in the lab. The lab is currently active in long-term ecological...
22 July 2022
Careers
Earth Species Project - Senior AI Research Scientist
Andrea Austin
The Earth Species Project (ESP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to decoding animal communication and translating non-human language.
15 July 2022
Careers
WHOI is establishing an Imaging Technology Laboratory (ITL) & seeks a senior technical leader to lead the initiative. The primary goal of the ITL is to create a center of excellence to serve the technical imaging...
11 July 2022
Careers
We are looking for an international consultant to develop and implement the SMART system for São Tomé and Príncipe terrestrial and marine ecosystems, in Portuguese
1 July 2022
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
October 2025
event
Lacey Hughey and 3 more
March 2026
September 2024
| 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... |
|
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! |
|
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. |
|
Camera Traps, Marine Conservation | 1 year 5 months ago | |
| Thanks Aude, very useful. Will reach out to them! |
|
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... |
|
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.... |
|
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... |
|
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. |
|
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! |
|
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! |
|
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 |
Zooplankton Prosome and Lipid Sac Segmentation
15 February 2023 1:44pm
Catch up with The Variety Hour: February 2023
14 February 2023 6:26pm
How do I get started with mobile phones in sea turtle monitoring?
13 February 2023 10:01am
Research Associate - Machine Learning (Underwater Sound)
10 February 2023 10:19am
Engineering Manager, Skylight
10 February 2023 10:14am
Technical Officer – IMOS Animal Tracking Facility
7 February 2023 12:30pm
International Congress for Conservation Biology
16 January 2023 2:53pm
Case Study on Monitoring Aquatic Species with Gliders and Biologging Gear
13 January 2023 3:51am
Global Fishing Watch's Marine Manager Raises the Bar on Ocean Monitoring
13 January 2023 12:09am
With New Global Accessibility and Data Features, Marine Manager Raises the Bar on Ocean Monitoring - Global Fishing Watch
Latest release of online tool will help more people monitor and manage greater expanses of the seas.
Job: Software Engineer at Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
19 December 2022 7:59pm
Crowdfunding Aerial Baseline Study of Ghost Gear in Koh Phangan, Thailand
18 December 2022 11:06am
Using drones to find ghost gear in Koh Phangan, Thailand & study the impacts on marine megafauna | Experiment
crowdfunding science research funding crowdsourcing experiment openaccess
Upcoming PAM & R Ocean Science Courses
16 December 2022 3:27pm
Join NASA’s harmful algal bloom ML challenge and win prizes!
15 December 2022 7:56pm
ONLINE TRAINING: Project Planning for Wildlife Conservation
15 December 2022 7:11pm
New: Satellites for Biodiversity Award
5 December 2022 2:08pm
Image datasets of Indo-Pacific fish species
19 November 2022 6:57pm
Underwater Camera Trap Video Confirms 1,100-Mile (1800-km) Swim of Tagged Great White Shark
25 October 2022 10:20am
Shark Lab Data Analyst
24 October 2022 7:12pm
New paper: Benthic animal-borne sensors & citizen science combine to validate ocean modelling
10 October 2022 4:15pm
Benthic animal-borne sensors and citizen science combine to validate ocean modelling | Scientific Reports
Developments in animal electronic tagging and tracking have transformed the field of movement ecology, but interest is also growing in the contributions of tagged animals to oceanography. Animal-borne sensors can address data gaps, improve ocean model skill and support model validation, but previous studies in this area have focused almost exclusively on satellite-telemetered seabirds and seals. Here, for the first time, we develop the use of benthic species as animal oceanographers by combining archival (depth and temperature) data from animal-borne tags, passive acoustic telemetry and citizen-science mark-recapture records from 2016–17 for the Critically Endangered flapper skate (Dipturus intermedius) in Scotland. By comparing temperature observations to predictions from the West Scotland Coastal Ocean Modelling System, we quantify model skill and empirically validate an independent model update. The results from bottom-temperature and temperature-depth profile validation (5,324 observations) fill a key data gap in Scotland. For predictions in 2016, we identified a consistent warm bias (mean = 0.53 °C) but a subsequent model update reduced bias by an estimated 109% and improved model skill. This study uniquely demonstrates the use of benthic animal-borne sensors and citizen-science data for ocean model validation, broadening the range of animal oceanographers in aquatic environments.
Long-term tracking of whale feeding behavior via satellite now possible with new tag
4 October 2022 5:20pm
Multi-day workshop: Machine Learning Advances for Marine Acoustics & Imagery Data
4 October 2022 5:20pm
Conservation leadership: Learning
4 October 2022 2:29pm
ONLINE COURSE: Monitoring and Evaluation for Wildlife Conservation
4 October 2022 2:04pm
ONLINE COURSE: Project Management for Wildlife Conservation
4 October 2022 2:00pm
MIT engineers build a battery-free, wireless underwater camera
26 September 2022 2:59pm
New paper: A novel method for identifying coded tags recorded on aquatic acoustic monitoring systems
26 September 2022 2:11pm
A novel method for identifying coded tags recorded on aquatic acoustic monitoring systems | Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Aquatic biotelemetry increasingly relies on using acoustic transmitters (‘tags’) that enable passive detection of tagged animals using fixed or
HeroX Challenge: Better Call Trawl
21 September 2022 6:50pm
New paper: Evaluation of a coastal acoustic buoy for cetacean detections, bearing accuracy and exclusion zone monitoring
20 September 2022 3:00pm
Online Course – Introduction to Aquatic Acoustic Telemetry
14 September 2022 6:13pm