Microsoft AI Powers the Sea Search for Deadly 'Ghost Nets'

Scooby-Doo and his crew did not have artificial intelligence to help their hunt for spooky spectres.

But these are different times. And, when WWF Germany wanted to launch a search for undersea phantom menaces, it turned to Microsoft and its AI for Good Lab.

WWF Germany’s target is one of the scourges of the seas – ghost nets. They are the nets that get lost from fishing boats and then lurk unseen in the depths, snaring fish, turtles, dolphins, seabirds and other sea life.

Now, thanks to partners including Microsoft and Accenture, WWF Germany has launched the AI-supported platform ghostnetzero.ai.

Using AI to transform marine conservation

With the help of AI, high-resolution sonar data from the seabed is automatically analysed and locations where ghost nets are likely to be found are marked.

The AI, developed by Microsoft, makes it possible to efficiently analyse existing sonar images that are collected worldwide, for example to secure shipping traffic or to explore locations for offshore wind turbines, specifically for ghost nets.

WWF Germany is therefore calling for cooperation: via the online platform, research institutes, authorities or offshore wind power companies can easily donate suitable recordings.

A game-changer for ghost net hunting

Gabriele Dederer, research diver and project manager for ghostnets at WWF Germany, explains the importance of the project.

She says: "Ghost nets endanger marine animals and ecosystems and make up a significant proportion of plastic waste in the ocean, but they are invisible under the water surface and their detection is complex.

“The combination of sonar search and AI-supported detection enables a quantum leap.”

Gabriele adds: “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.

“We hope that research institutes, authorities and companies will take part in the collaboration.” 

AI support also enables WWF to extend its own search to larger sea areas, with AI accuracy already 90%.

Sonar tech tackles Mediterranean crisis

Depending on the nature of the seabed, it is often difficult to tell whether a suspicious structure is a sanded-in net or a cable.

The AI is trained to reliably detect these subtle differences in sonar images from different systems, making it possible to evaluate existing data sets in a targeted manner.

The new platform proves crucial in the Mediterranean Sea, where fishing gear accounts for up to 89% of litter.

WWF is working with fishers, divers, scientists and local authorities in France, Italy and Croatia to map and retrieve ghost gear.

Identifying and retrieving the gear is a challenging activity, due to the lack of systematic collection of data, the time needed to analyse images and the assessment of the feasibility for retrievals.

Platform enables data scaling

Stefania Campogianni, Project Manager on Plastic Pollution for WWF Mediterranean, explains why organisations need to come forward to help.

"This new platform will give us the chance to scale up the amount of data collected and accelerate the identification of ghost gear.

“We therefore call on Mediterranean research institutes, authorities and offshore wind power companies to join the platform and work with us on the protection of the Mediterranean.”

The online platform was developed with the support of Accenture.

Thomas Knüwer, Chief Creative Officer at Accenture Song ASG, says: "The co-developed platform replaces tedious manual searching with a scaled process that analyses data at unprecedented speed.”

A web platform, branding and targeted communications turn the technology solution into a long-term initiative.

"To address the partners in a targeted way, we rely on clear design, intuitive UX and consistent brand management," Thomas adds.

Microsoft AI for Good Lab delivers precision detection

Every year, 20 per cent of all fishing gear in the world's oceans is lost.

Lost fishing gear makes up around 30% of plastic waste, decomposing into smaller pieces and fibres over centuries and exacerbating microplastic pollution in the oceans.

The nets are deadly traps for fish, seabirds, turtles and marine mammals.

"We are excited to work with WWF Germany and Accenture on this project to help address ocean plastic pollution and protect marine ecosystems," says Juan Lavista Ferres, corporate vice president and chief data scientist of the AI for Good Lab at Microsoft.

"The Microsoft AI for Good Lab developed a model that allows GhostNetZero to analyse sonar data to identify and remove ghost nets with the accuracy and efficiency that is only possible with AI."

Baltic Sea recovery demonstrates impact

So far, WWF Germany has manually sifted through images captured by a side-scan sonar and recovered 33 tonnes of nets from the Baltic Sea.

Melanie Nakagawa, Chief Sustainability Officer, Microsoft, says: "AI is making the invisible visible.

“Ghost nets, or abandoned fishing gear, drift silently through our seas and oceans, entangling over 500 species – from turtles to sharks to whales.

“These nets can take centuries to decompose and locating them has long been a near-impossible task."

Melanie continues: "But today, with the help of AI-powered platforms like ours, the tide is turning. By combining expert knowledge with the power of AI, WWF Germany has recovered 33 tonnes of ghost nets from the Baltic Sea."

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