OceanX launches a UAE mission to boost marine conservation

OceanX launches a UAE mission to boost marine conservation: US-based Ocean exploration non-profit OceanX is partnering with Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD) and UAE-based AI companies G42 and Bayanat to develop an overarching map of the Emirates’ ocean environment and aquatic ecosystems, according to a statement released on Thursday. The partnership also aims to assess how the warming seas are impacting UAE’s aquatic life.

The details: Using its OceanXplorer research vessel — one of the world’s most advanced of its kind — the organization will use manned submersibles, remotely operated vehicles, and acoustic mapping sonars to create a comprehensive baseline of the UAE’s shallow waters. The team will analyze the Emirates’ seafloor geology, nutrient levels, and megafauna population.

How will AI play a role? OceanX will leverage environmental DNA (eDNA) tracing tech developed with G42 and EAD, as well as G42’s AI tool giQ in a bid to enable real-time ocean data analysis, species identification, and boost habitat mapping, the statement notes.

Fusing eDNA sampling with AI analysis will aid in conservation planning, precise stock assessment, and provide knowledge of the climate-induced shifts affecting marine species. Last month, the UAE hinted at their plans to use the new eDNA sampling tech to map out local aquatic species and help the country publish their next fishery survey.

Why does this matter? Fish are the most diverse vertebrate group with around 36k different species, providing 178 mn tons of food globally at a value of USD 406 bn, according to FAO. In spite of their abundance, freshwater populations have declined by an average of 83% since 1970, and at last year’s COP15 in Canada, 196 countries signed a once-in- a-decade pact to protect 30% of the planet’s oceans and lands by 2030. The economic toll of biodiversity collapse in certain ecosystems could total some USD 2.7 bn annually by 2030, according to The World Bank.

REMEMBER- The UAE is big on biodiversity protection: The Emirates’ marine life has been severely overexploited leading to an 85% decline in numbers of key species. In a bid to dial back the damage and rejuvenate local populations, the country launched its UAE Coral Reef Project, aiming to rehabilitate shoals affected by oceanic warming through coral farming and transplantation. The UAE is also heavily invested in mangrove restorations committing to plant 100 mn mangroves. On the private sector side, Dubai-based Seafood Souq is helping digitize the seafood industry in a bid to minimize overfishing, the company’s co-founder Sean Dennis told us last year.