WCS 3-Sentence Science

Coral Conservation Gets a Boost from Silicon Valley

December 13, 2019

CREDIT: JULIO MAAZ/WCS

Each year, Wildlife Conservation Society scientists publish more than 300 peer-reviewed studies and papers. “WCS 3-Sentence Science” is a regular tip-sheet — in bite sized helpings — of some of this published work.

Here we present work by WCS’s Emily Darling on new technological tools emerging to study and protect coral reefs.

1. While the world’s coral reefs are imperiled due to a number of human-related causes, new technologies with potential applications for reef research and conservation are becoming more accessible and affordable.
2. Authors of a new study have examined how new technologies — including drones, autonomous underwater vehicles, satellite imagery, and a range of monitoring and surveillance platforms — are already helping to more effectively study reefs and maximize law enforcement efforts.
3. Making full use of these emerging tools in conservation circles will require overcoming challenges that include lack of awareness of technology, lack of accessibility, prohibitive costs, expertise needs, and other barriers.

Study and Journal: “Emerging technologies and coral reef conservation: Opportunities, challenges, and moving forward” from Frontiers in Marine Science
WCS Co-Author(s): Emily Darling, Conservation Scientist, WCS Marine Program

For more information, contact: Stephen Sautner, 718–220–3682, ssautner@wcs.org.