Current marine life is experiencing an intensifying series of challenges as a result of human actions and the effects of climate change and rapidly shifting environmental conditions. These environmental changes impact the oceans on various levels. For instance, the existence of individual fish is under threat as well as the entire ecosystem on which millions more human beings depend. These changes are no longer working in separate ways. This means that one change in the environment is usually exacerbating another. Studies, specifically with ocean acidification, have shown through research in marine biology and oceanography that human actions resulting in greater carbon emissions, warmer oceans, changes in the way the oceans flow, and pollution of the coasts are causing changes at a speed at which many types of fish in the oceans are not easily adapting. With the increasing magnitude and need for these problems, scientists have been turning to AI. Although AI has led to the advancement in the scope of the changes researchers make in the oceans, it is essential to understand that it is only an aid.
Credit: Phys.org
A case where one can see how environmental changes have a considerable impact on marine organisms during their most delicate phase of development is found on Florida’s beaches, where sea turtle hatchlings are now facing new challenges on their path from nest to ocean. In the past few years, massive amounts of sargassum seaweed have been reported to be reaching the shores and onto the nesting areas of the turtles. The sargassum growth has been attributed by scientists to warmer ocean waters and nutrient-rich runoff of land-based activities like deforestation. As a result of these factors, the Atlantic waters have become a conducive breeding ground for the growth of a large amount of seaweed. The large amount of seaweed mats on the shores creates a barricade on the path of the turtle hatchlings. This reduces their speed, which makes them more susceptible to predation by birds, crabs, and dehydration/heat. As sea turtles require speed to successfully overcome this brief but pivotal stage of their lives, any delay at all can significantly impact their survival rates. This is an example of the adverse effects of changes in climate that upset delicate ecological processes to make potentially manageable ecosystems into deadly ones.
Although these changes are evident in coastlines, other, less evident but perhaps more serious changes are happening beneath the surface in the ocean. Changes in the chemical properties of seawater, such as ocean acidification, pose a threat to marine ecosystems on a regional and global level. The California Current indicates these regions are becoming more acidic than scientists originally estimated. Upwelling is a process where cold, nutrient-ridden, and normally more acidic deep water is carried from the depths closer to the surface. Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere cause higher levels of absorbing carbon dioxide in surface waters, leading to higher acidity levels than expected on a global average scale. These ecosystems are some of the most productive in the Earth’s oceans, providing sustenance for commercial fishing industries, which in turn provide economic support for coastal communities. Extreme acidity levels make it more difficult for organisms like oysters, clams, and types of plankton to build shells. Since the organisms are a food base in the marine ecosystem, their reduction causes a trickle-up effect that affects fish, their predators, and eventually the human diet. The study demonstrates the significance of regional research in the sense that localized phenomena are responsible for the global climate, which causes Seagrasses to decline drastically.
In the face of such growing challenges, artificial intelligence technology has emerged as an essential resource in the field of marine science. With the help of artificial intelligence, datasets such as underwater images, sonar echoes, and satellite imagery can be used to classify species, monitor changes, and find patterns within the aquatic environment. Additionally, artificial intelligence can use algorithms that allow scientists to forecast changes in the patterns of fish migration, detect toxic algal blooms, and analyze the status of the health of coral reefs. Another area where artificial intelligence technology can be used is in underwater unmanned vehicles that can explore the oceans where humans find access challenging, costly, or Even dangerous.
Credit: CleanerSeas.com
Yet even with such advances, ocean experts say that AI has substantial limitations. AI models rely significantly on the quality and availability of data, which is partial for large swaths of the ocean. Most areas of the ocean-especially deep-sea and developing coastal regions-remain poorly studied, leading to knowledge gaps that can weaken predictions. Algorithms can mirror the biases of the data sets they're trained on, favoring well-monitored species or areas and overlooking others. Moreover, independently, AI cannot interpret ecological context, nor does it account for the complex social and political factors affecting conservation outcomes. Field research, human expertise, and informed decisionmaking cannot be replaced; rather, they must complement AI, experts emphasize. It is only with proper scientific collaboration between researchers, policymakers, and local communities that even the most advanced technological equipment cannot root out the causes of marine degradation.
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