Yacht club Real Club Náutico in Palma, Spain, has established a partnership with Telefónica Tech with the ambition of monitoring, collecting, and treating marine waste with a cutting-edge water drone during this year's Copa del Rey regatta.
According to a WebWire release, the collaboration will make use of an aquatic, IoT-connected drone to sense and collect up to 500 kilograms of waste — everything from plastics to biomass — for each day of the regatta, with the aim of improving the water's ecological health.
With highly refined sensory capacities based on artificial intelligence as well as optical and photonic technologies, the drone is furthermore capable of classifying the waste it detects, allowing researchers to get a sense of what exactly is in our waters.
After all, the aquatic habitats off the coast of Spain have been damaged in recent decades by various kinds of pollution as well as our warming climate. These newest drone findings can help scientists and policymakers propose informed measures when it comes to cleanup and pollution prevention going forward.
"The sea is not just our playground: it is home to a biodiversity that we must protect," reported Club director Manu Fraga. "With this electric drone, we are demonstrating that smart solutions can turn yacht clubs and sporting events into drivers of change."
Pollution in our oceans, seas, and other waterbodies has skyrocketed. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, 15 to 51 trillion pieces of plastic can be found in the world's oceans.
Unwanted debris of all sorts not only poses a threat to aquatic wildlife that ingests or gets entangled in various natural and synthetic sediment, but it also may prove hazardous to human health.
When waste breaks down incompletely, microplastics and other residue contaminate the water imperceptibly, eventually making their way into our drinking water and food supply, potentially leading to a range of health complications.
"I invite other ports and clubs to join us; the real trophy is a Mediterranean free of plastic and pollution," Fraga continued. "That must be our responsibility and commitment."
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