Intel Leverages AI to Monitor Real-Time Coral Reef Health Data

Coral reefs are facing alarming degradation due to overfishing, bottom trawling, rising ocean temperatures, and unsustainable coastal development. To combat this crisis, scientists require more robust data, and Intel has stepped in with a promising solution. Today, Intel, along with its partners Accenture and the Sulubaaï Environmental Foundation, announced the launch of CORaiL—an AI-driven initiative designed to monitor reefs and assess their resilience.

In May 2019, the team introduced innovative concrete structures, known as Sulu-Reef Prosthesis, to support unstable coral fragments surrounding Pangatalan Island in the Philippines. These structures host living coral fragments that will thrive and expand, creating essential marine habitats. Additionally, underwater video cameras equipped with Accenture’s AI-powered Video Analytics Services Platform (VASP) have been deployed to automatically count and classify marine life, providing researchers with real-time data.

Powered by Intel’s Xeon processors, the VASP platform enables researchers to gather vital data without the need for divers, who can inadvertently disturb aquatic wildlife during manual video collection. "The value of your data depends on how quickly you can glean insights for decision-making," explained Athina Kanioura, Accenture’s Chief Analytics Officer. "With real-time analysis on streaming video, VASP taps into a rich data source, allowing for effective monitoring without disrupting the underwater environment."

Over the past year, the CORaiL team has amassed approximately 40,000 images, which are currently being used to evaluate reef health. Engineers are also developing a next-generation CORaiL prototype equipped with an optimized convolutional neural network and a backup power supply. Future enhancements may include infrared cameras for capturing nighttime footage. Ultimately, CORaiL has the potential to study the migration patterns of tropical fish to cooler waters and to monitor compliance with reef protection regulations.