AI coral monitoring project

What happens on a coral reef when nobody is watching?

To find out, we have installed underwater cameras on the house reef of Feridhoo, Maldives, as part of a new monitoring initiative developed in collaboration with the University of Padova and Wails, an innovative technology company based in Mantova, Italy.

The cameras capture an image every five minutes, creating a continuous photographic record of the reef. Unlike occasional surveys that provide snapshots of an ecosystem at a particular moment, this approach allows us to build a long-term visual record and investigate how the underwater environment changes over time.

Wails underwater camera with light and cleaning sistem

Why is this important for coral reef research?

By repeatedly observing the same area, we can document changes in coral colonies, monitor their development, and investigate patterns in the presence of fish and other marine organisms. These observations can help us better understand reef dynamics and provide valuable information for future conservation and restoration efforts.

Turning images into scientific data

The project uses Wails' underwater monitoring technology and AI-assisted image analysis to help process and interpret the images collected by the cameras. The platform supports image comparison, long-term visual documentation and automated recognition of selected objects and environmental changes.

Combined with scientific monitoring and validation, these tools offer new opportunities to investigate reef changes at a scale that would be difficult to achieve through occasional underwater surveys alone.

Technology, research and conservation working together

Through this collaboration between Diving Noohiri / Feridhoo Coral Restoration, the University of Padova and Wails, we aim to improve our understanding of the local reef ecosystem and explore new ways to monitor coral growth and marine biodiversity in the Maldives.

Because every five minutes, the reef has another story to tell. 🌊