Thanks to a new deep learning model, volunteers can review 13,000 images in just over a week
Consider what happens when a deep learning model gets to work to strengthen conservation efforts for a world natural wonder. As per an announcement this week, Dell Technologies unveiled a new deep learning technology model, in partnership with Australia-based conservation organisation ‘Citizens of The Great Barrier Reef’. This effort, as explained by the company, will allow global citizen scientists to more quickly and accurately analyse reconnaissance images collected from the Great Barrier Reef during the next phase of the ‘Great Reef Census (GRC).
Here’s how it will work. The new model will better inform conservation efforts for the Great Barrier Reef. A previously implemented Dell edge solution deployed on watercraft automatically uploads data directly to the deep learning model via a mobile network for real-time image capture. This will enhance the capabilities of the GRC by speeding image analysis that previously solely relied on human volunteers – allowing citizen scientists to support prompt recovery efforts in areas that need it the most and during critical times of the year, such as the annual spawning season.
As claimed by the company, the deep learning analysis now takes less than one minute per photo, compared to seven or eight minutes in previous census phases. While it took 1,516 hours to review 13,000 images in the first GRC, the new model can analyse the same data set in less than 200 hours.
The initiative aligns to Dell’s ambitions to advance sustainability, by creating technology that drives progress and working with customers, partners, suppliers and communities to enable climate action. The GRC is a partnership across Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ) combining the expertise of the Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef team, Dell, researchers from University of Queensland (UQ) and James Cook University (JCU), Sahaj Software Solutions and citizen scientists. Dell also worked with its data science team in Singapore to continually refine and carry out extensive community testing of the selected deep learning model to ensure that benchmarking standards were met.
Looking ahead, Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef founder Andy Ridley hopes to expand the GRC, powered by the Dell’s repeatable and scalable edge solution and deep learning model, to other reef sites globally – with the first trial sites outside Australia to begin in Indonesia.
Notably enough, in this year’s campaign, volunteers will analyse 42,000 images collected from 315 reefs along the 2,300 km length of the reef marine park.
Recent Comments