User:Reefsupport/sandbox

Reef Support
Reef Support is a conservation-based enterprise that operates from the ESA Business Incubation Center in Noordwijk, the Netherlands (also see article ). The company specializes in advanced software solutions that aim to revolutionize marine management. By leveraging AI technologies, satellite data, and global training initiatives, Reef Support empowers local organizations dedicated to monitoring and preserving coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. Their field-ready software (Open Coral AI and Open Ocean Data facilitates improved marine monitoring and conservation practices, contributing to the data economy and the advancement of marine conservation technologies worldwide.

Open Coral AI
Open Coral AI is a free-to-use online tool specifically developed to enhance marine research and coral reef monitoring initiatives. The preservation of coral reefs has become an increasingly pressing concern, largely due to the lack of comprehensive data on their health. Traditional data processing methods, such as manual processing with software such as CPCe (Coral Point Count with Excel Extensions) is labor-intensive and limited in their scope. These limitations are further compounded by the vast expanse of coral reef systems spanning over 250,000 - 600,000 km2 worldwide.

To address these challenges, automated coral reef processing technology has emerged as a promising solution in recent years. By utilizing underwater cameras with scuba divers, underwater robotics, and other cutting-edge equipment, these technologies can swiftly gather extensive data on coral reefs. This automated data collection and processing approach not only enables the collection of large amounts of data in a short period but also ensures accuracy and consistency, greatly enhancing monitoring and management capabilities.

Open Coral AI's primary objective is to detect, identify, and predict the health and diseases affecting coral reefs, as well as instances of coral bleaching, with remarkable precision and accuracy. The technology, which started to be developed in 2021, serves as a valuable resource for researchers, coastal managers, and policymakers by providing crucial information for informed decision-making aimed at mitigating damage to these vital ecosystems.

Open Coral AI has three primary goals:


 * 1) The first goal is to be able to detect coral versus non-coral, which is essential in identifying coral reefs in underwater imagery. This can be achieved by training the AI to recognize the unique structures and colors of coral reefs.
 * 2) The second goal is to group different types of corals into functional groups, such as hard coral, soft coral, algae, sand, invertebrates, and others.
 * 3) The third and most ambitious goal is to work towards identifying different genera of corals. Starting with the most frequently-identified ten genera Acropora, Montipora, Porites, Pocillopora, Favia, Euphyllia, Seriatopora, Goniopora, Lobophyllia, and Stylophora.