Is IoT Technology Going To Help Salvage Our Ocean Crisis?

An unspeakable tragedy is unfolding right in front of our eyes - our oceans are dying! As land-dwelling creatures, we tend to forget about our oceans. When we look at planet earth from outer space, most of what we see is that lovely, life-affirming blue of our majestic oceans- but the fact of the matter is that we’ve barely explored our oceans to the extent that we’ve explored our mountain peaks or even outer space for that matter. 

The sheer scale of the earth’s oceans are hard for the human mind to grasp. Let’s get some perspective here - if we were to invert Mount Everest into the pacific, we’d still be over 1.2 miles away from its deepest point! That’s how deep and dark the oceans can get!

Why is this important?

Well we’re saying this to highlight just how much our oceans are uncharted territory for us. It is hard for us to wrap our minds around the depth, scale and size of our oceans - therefore, it’s hard for us to take notice of the desperate cries for help that the oceans are issuing to us. 

Here’s a scary fact - by the year 2050, there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish, by cumulative weight. If that piece of information doesn’t send a chill down your spine - well it should. Our oceans are in terrible shape - this is arguably the ecological crisis of our time - how we respond to this herculean challenge is probably going to make or break the destiny of the human race in the near future. 

Why is that, you ask?

Simply because most life on earth - actually, a disproportionately large chunk of life on this planet, in terms of biomass, is concentrated in our oceans. The oceans are the absolute lifeblood of the planet. They are the largest ecosystem on planet earth. A whopping 80 % of earth’s total biomass is contained in the oceans. The health of this planet and all the life that it sustains is critically dependent on the health of our ocean system. 

Any threat to the ocean ecosystem will automatically spell disaster for all the other links in the delicate tapestry of life on earth - When this massive ecosystem starts losing its delicate balance, it creates ripple effects that are felt all across the web of life on earth. Everything on earth is interconnected - all life on earth exists as part of a buzzing, interdependent network that is constantly in a process of seamless exchange and transfer. 

This system is held in place by a delicate web of checks and balances that is astounding in its subtlety, complexity and interconnectedness. In spite of centuries of study, we are still unearthing links all the time - for instance, we recently discovered that trees in the pacific northwest of the United States are dependent on salmon for their survival -We might wonder that’s even possible - the salmon contain freshwater nutrients that are brought into the terrestrial ecosystem by bears that hunt them - the bears drop salmon carcasses and skeletons in the woods which replaces levels of scarce nutrients in the soil - nutrients that are necessary for the growth of various trees. These trees have no other means to access these nutrients. Such is the sheer complexity of the web of life - awe inspiring and mind numbing all at once - and today, the health of this delicately held web is under grave threat. 

The idea of this article isn’t to cause gratuitous alarm - fear mongering, as we explain here, isn’t really our thing. The idea with this piece is to take inventory of the health of our oceans - identify the biggest threats to ocean health and see how IoT technology can be employed to design meaningful interventions to try and counter these ecological problems. 

Understanding The Problem

So what’s the crisis that’s haunting our marine ecosystems?

It’s multi-faceted, in the truest sense of the word. We are witnessing an entire host of symptoms that are cascading together to threaten the future of our oceanic life. 

Let’s start with something that’s foundational to the ecological catastrophe that’s unfolding in front of us - our massive waste problem! Our living standards have skyrocketed - with over a 140 million people entering the global middle class every year, this means that we are producing, consuming and discarding more goods than ever before - In terms of material goods, the growth in consumption is most pronounced in rapidly developing regions like Asia, where the middle class is expanding at unprecedented rates. This rise in living standards, especially in populous countries like China and India, has led to increased demand for consumer goods and services. 

Our unsustainable consumption patterns, driven by the expansion of the global middle class and rising living standards, are resulting in terrifyingly large amounts of waste being sent back into our ecosystems. This trend is causing a serious crisis, impacting various levels of ecosystems around the world.

The World Economic Forum estimates that the amount of plastic in our marine environments is set to quadruple by the year 2050 - Things are terrible enough in this regard, as things stand - it is estimated by the WEF that about 88% of all known marine species have already been adversely affected in some way by plastic pollution. 

We’re witnessing a mass-extinction event - entire swathes of marine life are either extinct or critically endangered - over 87 species to be precise, in the last 100 years. Overfishing, plastic pollution and habitat destruction due to human activity. Several keystone species - like Sperm Whales, Great White Sharks, Monk Seals and various corals - are experiencing dramatic declines in their numbers. 

This is giving rise to a cascading effect on the rest of the marine ecosystem, severely destabilising the delicate balance that holds it up. 

An alarming number of coral species are going extinct - several other keystone species such as sharks and whales are facing this fate as well; This, in turn, is leading to the collapse of entire ecosystems. 

Coral reefs are sometimes described as being the rainforests of the oceans - today, these intricate ecological systems are experiencing massive bleaching events. What this means is that increasing ocean temperatures and acidification is turning them unconducive to the symbiotic algae that live in their tissues. Without these algae, coral reefs are not able to maintain their colour and therefore, they lose out on their primary source of energy - leading to large scale die-offs. The loss of coral reefs impacts the entire marine ecosystem, resulting in the extinction of the thousands of species that rely on corals for their shelter and nourishment. 

Secondly, the oceans are absorbing a lot of the heat put out by human activities into the atmosphere. This warming is not only harmful for coastal populations but is also severely disruptive for marine ecosystems. Warmer waters are unable to hold onto oxygen which severely compromises their ability to sustain life. This leads to the formation of dead zones - areas in the ocean where life cannot be sustained. 

Then there is the all too well-known issue of plastic pollution - possibly the most pressing ecological crisis of our time. As our population grows and hundreds of millions of people embrace modern patterns of consumption, we are producing enormous amounts of plastic and our oceans have had to bear the brunt. 

Our oceans are being overrun with plastic waste. Microplastics have permeated all parts of our oceans, from the surface all the way to the darkest depths, affecting all forms of life in the process. 

Marine animals ingest this plastic which leads to disastrous outcomes. More pertinently for us perhaps, these plastics are entering the human food chain, leading to disastrous consequences for our health. 

This problem is further compounded by the fact that our oceans are getting more acidic by the day, due to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. This acidification is having a severe impact on marine life, particularly on organisms that have calcium carbonate based exoskeletons (such as corals, shellfish, molluscs etc). 

When these organisms struggle to survive, the entire web of life in the oceans is plunged into jeopardy - again, with knock-on consequences that threaten human food security.

In a nutshell, our ocean ecosystems are under immense threat, to put it lightly. 

Harnessing Technology To Promote Ocean Conservation

The situation that’s unfolding in front of our eyes is a dire one no doubt. 

But, here’s the thing - feeling terrible about it isn’t going to help. Throwing blame around isn’t going to help either. 

What we need are solutions. The answer to this crisis, in a way, is also in the very factors that led to its onset. Our development and industrialisation are what led us to this situation where we’re looking at an unprecedented ecological disaster. 

The same rapid development has given us immense technological capabilities - today, we’re able to do things that would have been scarcely believable to any generation that came before us - things that would have been called magic even 25 years ago. 

Technology offers us the best hope to salvage this crisis that’s threatening our very existence on this planet. We are seeing the emergence of an incredible number of groundbreaking developments that are changing the landscape of ocean conservation. 

IoT technology is dramatically changing the way we monitor and manage our marine ecosystems, paving the way for a more sustainable relationship with our oceans. Technologies like remote sensing and acoustic monitoring are providing unprecedented opportunities to engage with our oceans in a hands-on manner. 

Real-time monitoring enabled by state-of-the-art sensing technology is allowing us to have millions of eyes in the oceans, working real-time, to give us a highly granular and data-rich picture of marine life 

These insights gleaned from the use of IoT-based sensing technologies allow for us to craft evidence-based strategies to reverse the damage to our oceans. We are able to identify solutions that are effective, efficient and highly targeted. 

We are seeing ultra-low-power sensors, high speed cameras, low-power radio networks and satellites being used in combination to remotely monitor the behaviour or marine wildlife and track habitat changes in real-time. In some cases, we are able to track populations down to the level of individual animals, allowing us to be highly precise and comprehensive in our remedial efforts. 

Today, we have hand-held IoT-based devices to record coral reef data with extremely high levels of precision. There have also been numerous successful instances of remote sensing being employed to track illegal fishing, whaling and other poaching activities. This technology is also used to track marine animal movements, boat activity and monitor pollution levels. In a nutshell, we are using these technologies to make sure that the ocean is managed as sustainably as possible. 

These are some of the main ways in which IoT technologies are being used to design meaningful interventions with respect to marine conservation -

1. Precision monitoring and data collection

Our oceans are largely unexplored and uncharted - often, what proves to be the biggest roadblock in dealing with ocean pollution is the sheer vastness of our oceans, which makes it very difficult to truly estimate the full extent of the underlying issues. Satellite technology, AI-based analytics and low-power IoT systems are allowing us to create continuous monitoring systems that are able to track various relevant parameters in real-time. 

This real-time data is crucial if we are to be able to respond quickly to threats as they arise - such as illegal fishing incidents and impending marine disasters - allowing us to intervene in ways that are timely, effective and preventive. 

2. Enabling Global Solutions

As we mentioned in the previous point, the scale of the oceans is something that is truly mind-boggling - over 70% of the earth’s surface is covered by oceans. Technological solutions such as autonomous drones, AUVs and satellite-based surveillance systems can help us truly cover the entire scope of the ocean surface - far more than we could achieve by employing human teams. 

For instance, AI-powered drones can track large tracts of coral reefs in real-time and monitor these ecosystems for signs of bleaching or pollution. Satellite monitoring can help us identify illegal fishing activities across international waters. 

This allows us to implement conservation initiatives that are truly global and cut across 

The opportunities are truly vast - modern technological standards promise so much in terms of supporting marine life and checking ocean pollution but like with most things in life, the reality of the situation isn’t all rosy - realising this massive potential requires a high degree of coordination across various industrial sectors - governments, policymakers, tech companies, marine researchers, offshore industries and others need to join hands and work in unison to make these possibilities a reality. 

IoT technology, together with satellite monitoring and AI-powered drones is actually allowing us to scale marine conservation efforts to a global level - arguably for the first time ever. 

3. Automated Sustainability

Modern IoT technology is allowing us to bring about a previously unseen level of automation to our conservation efforts. 

The prohibitive costs of highly-skilled and specialised manpower has always been a huge limiting factor in our marine conservation efforts - many of which include repetitive tasks and surveillance related roles that go on for years at a time. 

Technology is allowing us to automate some of these tasks - freeing up an incredible amount of resources in the process.

For instance, batteryless IoT sensors are being deployed to collect continuous streams of data on marine ecosystems without the need for periodic maintenance or battery replacements. There is also the added advantage of zero waste. This shift is allowing us to get up and close and personal with some of these critically en

This is part of a larger trend in microelectronics - where battery-based sensors and microcontrollers are making way for self-powered alternatives that rely on energy harvesting technologies.  

4. Predictive Analysis for Pre-emptive Conservation

One of the biggest advantages that IoT and AI bring to the table is the ability to glean predictive insights. Today, this is being harnessed to empower conservation efforts that are proactive rather than reactive. 

ML algorithms enable us to sift through incredibly vast amounts of data - both historical and real-time - in order to predict pertinent future events such as coral bleaching or impending population crises. 

This enables conservation biologists and governments to address serious issues well before irreversible damage occurs. 

For example, satellites are enabling the measurement of sea surface temperature (SST) from approximately 10 µm below the surface using radiometers. This is allowing scientists to detect warming ocean temperatures preemptively, which in turn, gives policy makers enough time to trigger protective countermeasures. 

5. Fostering International Collaboration

As we mentioned earlier, national divides have proved to be a deterrent in coming up with a truly unified response against this global crisis. IoT technology is helping in this front - allowing for more international collaboration in ocean conservation efforts. 

Open-source initiatives like the Global fishing Watch are allowing countries, NGOs and researchers to have access to real-time data and coordinate their efforts with one another in order to curb illegal fishing practices or protect marine biodiversity. 

What this means is that we’re able to stand up against this global challenge, in a truly global manner - as opposed to tackling it with divided, disparate efforts. This also boosts transparency and makes for exponentially better outcomes. 

6. Sensors and Smart Buoys

Batteryless Iot sensors are increasingly being deployed to monitor temperature, salinity, oxygen levels and other parameters crucial to marine life. 

IoT-powered smart buoys are being used to collect data to track phenomena such as harmful algal blooms and hypoxic dead zones. These technologies allow authorities to have their eyes on the oceans at all times, responding promptly just when they need to. 

The Role of Batteryless IoT

Batteryless IoT is playing a  huge role to play in marine conservation today. 

A few years ago,  a team of researchers from MIT created an underwater communication system that was entirely battery-free - the system was designed to monitor sea temperatures and track climate change and marine life over long periods of time. 

This particular system employed piezoelectric energy harvesting technology. 

This was a proof-of-concept breakthrough that showed us that the future of ocean sensing was batteryless. The bizarre problem we’ve been facing is that modern sensing technologies are probably our best bet in terms of gathering the intelligence that we need to tackle our ocean crisis - but, if these sensors are going to be battery-powered, they’re going to contribute to some of the very issues that they’re being used to counter. 

Batteries, when they get lost in the oceans ,end up leaching toxic chemicals. Coin cells contain metals like lithium, mercury and cadmium, which are deadly to marine life. 

And it’s not just IoT technology that’s meant for oceans that’s the problem. As IoT technology becomes increasingly indispensable in various walks of life and demand for sensing technology grows, the cumulative amount of battery waste generated grows as well. A large chunk of these batteries end up in landfills and oceans, exacerbating the problem of ocean pollution. 

Batteryless IoT therefore becomes crucial to the problem of ocean pollution in two ways - Firstly, self-powered sensing reduces the load of battery waste going into our oceans - which is huge. 

Secondly, batteryless IoT is proving to be a powerful tool in countering some of these issues head on - i.e. we are seeing an increasing number of IoT solutions directed towards marine conservation opt for batteryless sensors over their battery powered counterparts - the reasons for this are quite obvious - periodic maintenance and battery replacements are not possible in these environments. Moreover, batteryless also has the advantage of being the cleaner and greener alternative. 

Unlike traditional battery-powered sensors, which may need periodic replacement or maintenance, batteryless IoT devices can operate continuously, powered by ambient energy. This makes them ideal for long-term ocean monitoring projects where device maintenance is challenging due to the remote or harsh environment. For instance, sensors that monitor coral reefs, fish populations, or ocean pollution can run for years without human intervention, providing a reliable stream of data.

Batteryless IoT technology is scalable and can be deployed on a large scale to monitor vast oceanic areas. Whether it's tracking fish migration patterns, monitoring underwater temperature changes, or detecting illegal fishing activity, these sensors can cover large swaths of ocean with minimal environmental impact.

Looking ahead

Pessimism and negativity are not going to help us. 

It is natural to feel terrified when we take stock of the sheer magnitude of the crisis we are up against with respect to our planet’s ecology, but no matter how overwhelming the urge, negativity and blame shifting are strategies that simply don’t work. 

Naive optimism is equally useless. The same goes for our tendency to sleep on these issues and pretend they don’t exist. What we need is decisive action. We’ve explored some of the powerful tools that we could use in this fight but the real challenge is an internal one - the problem is not that we don’t have enough resources or possibilities - the problem, so far anyway, has been that we’ve not been able to come together in any significant way - we haven’t been able to combine our powers against these issues. On some level, it might be fair to say we’ve acted as if we simply don’t care enough. 

It is far beyond the scope of this article to proffer solutions for humanity’s collective malaise and unresponsiveness. 

In fact what we’re trying to do here is just the opposite. 

Even with all these issues we’ve had - there’s still so much being done. Some of these tools that we’ve developed in recent years are nothing short of miraculous. If this is how far we’ve come with flailing, uncoordinated efforts, it’s truly hope-inspiring to think of what we can achieve with just a little more cooperation and decisiveness. 

One thing’s for sure though- if we sleep on these issues any longer, we’re all going to pay a price - and it’s likely going to be catastrophic.