Google develops AI tool SurfPerch to aid coral reef conservation

Google has created an AI tool called SurfPerch to aid marine biologists in studying and conserving coral reef ecosystems. Developed in collaboration with Google Research and DeepMind, SurfPerch analyses thousands of hours of audio recordings to monitor reef health, even in deep or murky waters. Public contributions to the "Calling in Our Corals" project helped build a comprehensive bioacoustic dataset, enhancing the tool's efficiency. Leveraging patterns from bird recordings, SurfPerch has successfully differentiated protected from unprotected reefs, tracked restoration efforts, and deepened understanding of fish community dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef. The project continues to evolve with new audio inputs. (Tech Crunch)