Abandoned fishing nets are a major threat to marine life around the world, and one of the biggest companies on Earth is working to fix the problem.
Microsoft developed an artificial intelligence tool to help find and recover the nets, which is often referred to as "ghost gear," AI Magazine reported.
In a partnership with WWF Germany, the tech company's AI for Good Lab deployed Ghost Net Zero, which analyzes sonar data so crews can locate and remove the equipment.
The publication said ghost gear makes up almost one-third of plastic pollution in the ocean. The nets, lines, and more entrap fish, birds, turtles, and mammals. More than 3 million invertebrates, fish, and birds were killed by just 4,500 ghost nets in one estimate detailed by the Aquatic Life Institute.
"The co-developed platform replaces tedious manual searching with a scaled process that analyses data at remarkable speed," Accenture Song chief creative officer Thomas KnĆ¼wer said.
Sonar data is plentiful, according to the magazine, as it is used to secure shipping traffic and explore locations for wind turbines. The AI system can efficiently find ghost nets, distinguishing them from buried cables on the seafloor, for instance.
TCD Picks Ā» Upway Spotlight
š”Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
The project is "only possible with AI," Juan Lavista Ferres, corporate vice president and chief data scientist of the AI for Good Lab, told AI Magazine. Search areas have already been expanded because of Ghost Net Zero's 90% success rate.
This is one application of the technology that seems to outweigh its harms. AI, powered by energy-hungry data centers that increase energy bills, add to pollution, and strain resources, can also optimize clean energy systems.
Research institutes, governments, organizations, and even offshore wind power companies can provide sonar recordings to boost Ghost Net Zero. "This collaborative approach addresses one of the fundamental challenges in ghost net detection: the lack of systematic data collection and the time required to analyse images manually," it stated.
The next step is for the program to move from the Baltic Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, where 89% of litter is fishing gear. Fishers, divers, scientists, and authorities in France, Italy, and Croatia are on board.
TCD Picks Ā» Quince Spotlight
š”These best-sellers from Quince deliver affordable, sustainable luxury for all
"The seabed is mapped all over the world and there is a huge amount of data. If we can specifically check existing image data from heavily fished marine zones, this is a real game-changer in the search for ghost nets," WWF Germany research diver and project manager for ghostnets Gabriele Dederer said, per AI Magazine.
|
What's the most you'd pay per month to put solar panels on your roof if there was no down payment?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
$200 or more š° 
Get TCD's free newsletters for easy tips to save more, waste less, and make smarter choices ā and earn up to $5,000 toward clean upgrades in TCD's exclusive Rewards Club.
Cool Picks
