In the bustling halls of the Vivatech trade fair in Paris, a new wave of innovation is crashing onto the shores of the maritime industry. Startups are showcasing cutting-edge technologies aimed at protecting the environment, from harnessing ocean currents to boost fuel efficiency to tracking whales using AI and sensor data. But as these innovations promise a greener future, they also raise critical questions about sustainability and responsibility.
At the heart of these advancements is artificial intelligence, which is proving to be a game-changer. AI programs, capable of learning from vast datasets, are boosting projects that aim to understand and predict real-world phenomena. Emily Charry Tissier, a biologist and founder of Canadian startup Whale Seeker, puts it bluntly: “We have to use AI because in the natural world there are too many variables to deal with manually.” Her startup is developing technology to track sea mammals, using neural networks that mimic the human brain. These systems can calculate a weather forecast 1,000 times faster than a standard digital model running on a supercomputer, according to oceanographer Alexandre Stegner of Amphitrite.
Amphitrite’s AI model, for instance, can predict ocean currents by analyzing multiple layers of satellite data. This technology offers sea captains a simple way to save fuel by slightly altering their course to gain a speed boost of up to four knots. This innovation could save operators money on fuel, reduce carbon emissions from shipping, and avoid the classic solution of telling sea captains to reduce their speed. It’s a win-win, right? Not so fast.
While these technologies hold immense potential, they also come with a caveat. Andre Abreu, International Affairs Director at the Paris-based Tara Ocean Foundation, warns that innovation should not be used to increase fishing hauls. “That would mean shooting ourselves in the foot” on goals like preserving marine biodiversity, he says. This ambiguity is starkly illustrated by OceanEyes, a Japanese startup using AI to predict sea conditions and reduce the time fishing boats spend tracking down a catch. While this technology can save fuel and slash greenhouse emissions, it also risks enabling overfishing.
Yusuke Tanaka, the boss of OceanEyes, acknowledges the concern but insists that their technology also aims to help vessels comply with Japanese regulations that oblige fishers to ensure the sustainable use of marine resources. However, the tension between what technology can do and what it should do remains.
Charry Tissier of Whale Seeker echoes this sentiment, pushing for a market that recognizes its own limits—not just what is possible, but what is responsible. She refused to work with a company that wanted to use whale detection to identify nearby fish to catch. But startups need funding, and in the context of oceans, investments are likely to come from big firms keen to make a saving. This could well limit their ability to stand on principle.
Stegner calls for regulations that push the maritime sector to reduce carbon emissions. But Charry Tissier believes the initiative could come from business itself. “Technology is developing so much faster than regulation… what I’d like is for big companies to decide for themselves to be responsible,” she says.
As the UN Ocean Conference in Nice pushes for a treaty to protect 60% of the world’s oceans, these innovations could play a pivotal role. But they also underscore the need for a balanced approach, one that leverages technology for sustainability without compromising the very ecosystems it aims to protect. The maritime industry stands at a crossroads, and the choices it makes today will shape the future of our oceans for generations to come. The question is, will we steer towards a sustainable future, or will we be swept away by the tide of unchecked innovation? The ball is in our court, and the stakes have never been higher.