Autonomous Marine Biofouling - Survey and Assessment

## Innovative Partnership Tackles Marine Biofouling with AI Technology - Kōtare Group and the University of Auckland collaborated on this innovative and exciting project.

Problem Statement

New Zealand's marine ecosystems are at risk from the spread of invasive species, which can attach to the hulls of recreational and commercial vessels. Identifying and managing biofouling is crucial for protecting biodiversity and safeguarding commercial fisheries. Current biofouling survey methods are resource-intensive, relying on divers to visually inspect vessels, a practice that is both time-consuming and hazardous. The limited speed and scale of manual surveys mean that only a small number of vessels can be inspected.

Solution

Kōtare Group Limited partnered with the University of Auckland to address this challenge, using datasets from Biosecurity New Zealand, Ministry for Primary Industries, Auckland Council, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council, and Cawthron Institute.

The sponsored team quickly set about creating a model that utilizes computer vision and machine learning to identify and classify biofouling severity from the video in the datasets.

Our combined Kōtare and University team then tested the model ‘in the wild’ utilizing the NZ-made BoxFish AUV in an Auckland marina for recreational vessels and in the port for commercial vessels.