/PRNewswire/ — Huawei and its partners today announced the preliminary results of a breakthrough artificial intelligence solution to survey and protect the Indochinese dolphin population in the Gulf of Xiamen.
The project launched three months ago as part of the Huawei TECH4ALL initiative so far:
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- identified 13 individual dolphins based on 2,820 images and videos,
- dosáhl přesnosti individuální identifikace přes 90 % to 85% úspěšnosti při rozpoznávání složitých projevů chování,
- increased the efficiency of data marking by 400%,
- speeded up the reaction time of surveillance on ships exceeding the speed limit or entering protected areas by 65%.
“Insights gleaned from AI-powered data help conservationists create targeted measures that allow them to better understand and effectively respond to the threats facing this iconic dolphin species to survive and thrive in the wild,” said Cui Yangyang, Director of Huawei’s TECH4ALL Program Office.
Listed as a nationally protected species in China and classified as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, Indochinese dolphins face significant threats in the Gulf of Xiamen, home to 51% of China’s dolphin population, particularly from shipping, fishing and coastal construction projects.
Their long-term survival is threatened by noise pollution, entanglement in fishing nets and loss of natural habitat.
In collaboration with the Third Institute of Oceanography under China’s Ministry of Natural Resources and China Mobile, the project includes a character recognition system that can identify individuals based on the unique coloration and shape of their dorsal fin.
“Thanks to the involvement of artificial intelligence, surveys are significantly more efficient and conservation measures are more precise,” said Wang Xianyan, head of the Marine Endangered Species Research and Conservation Team at the Third Institute of Oceanography of China’s Ministry of Natural Resources. “Data on the survival, reproduction and social behavior of individual dolphins provided by the AI recognition system is essential for the preparation of effective conservation measures.”
The solution includes image preprocessing, AI recognition and evaluation, dorsal fin image cropping, data sorting and cloud display. Each dolphin has its own record, so scientists can track the condition of individual individuals. Because long-term data are key to the preparation of effective conservation measures, researchers have an overview of dolphin numbers, their distribution, age composition, reproductive behavior and the threats they face.
Earlier manual monitoring was time-consuming and could not provide reliable data needed to monitor the development of the population and to prepare precisely targeted conservation measures.
According to the Third Institute of Oceanography, the next 10 to 15 years will be decisive for the growth of this population. The Indochinese dolphin plays a key role in coastal marine ecosystems and how the ocean acts as a carbon sink. They feed on fish that eat plankton. Plankton then absorb CO₂ and fix carbon through photosynthesis. The protection of the dolphin population and the integrity of the ocean ecosystem is therefore essential – precisely through the food chain, these dolphins indirectly participate in the carbon cycle, which is also important for mitigating the effects of climate change.
Combined with AI-based analytics, the 5G-A network of ten base stations ensures coverage of 330 square kilometers of the bay area, providing a continuous signal in all key protection zones.
Utilizing the integrated sensor and communication capabilities of the 5G-A network and linking data from radar, visual terminals, satellites and the Automatic Vessel Identification System (AIS), the movement of ships within a 20 kilometer radius can be tracked in real time. The artificial intelligence-based system generates alerts for rule violations, such as entering a restricted area or speeding, within seconds, and surveillance personnel can verify violations and quickly locate the vessel in question through coastal monitoring.
So far, 12 vessels suspected of endangering dolphins have been investigated.
Thanks to ongoing research and the involvement of artificial intelligence, the hidden life of Indochinese dolphins in the Gulf of Xiamen is gradually being revealed, giving hope for the survival of their population into the future.
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