Accenture dives into deep learning to protect coral reefs
June 4, 2021
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50% of the world’s coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef, are already severely damaged—one of the most significant effects of global climate change of our time.
As a diver, I’m passionate about marine ecosystems and have always wanted to use my interests to make a positive difference.
Taking part in Accenture’s Eco-Innovation Challenge was the perfect opportunity.
Bringing together problem solvers, innovators and agents of change from across Accenture, the Eco-Innovation Challenge unites them all toward a common goal: to apply technology and human ingenuity in tackling some of the world’s greatest environmental challenges and deliver 360 value.
Spanning across seven “grand challenges,” it mobilizes Accenture teams to build a more sustainable future for everyone.
Climate Resilience, one of the seven grand challenges, was very close to my heart.
More than half a billion people globally depend on coral reefs for food, income and protection. However, it’s predicted that by 2050, 90% of coral reefs will be critically endangered if nothing is done.
Making waves with deep learning
What started as an internal project, fueled by personal interests to make a positive change, soon turned into a full-on collaboration between Accenture and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)—Australia’s tropical marine research agency—to support their wider coral reef monitoring efforts and accelerate global protection of coral reefs.
The idea was born at The Dock, Ireland, Accenture’s flagship R&D and global innovation center, where the Rapid Innovation team conducted experiments to develop machine learning algorithms and computer vision approaches to automatically tag images of coral and generate insights on its health.
To progress this idea further, we teamed up with AIMS to develop and integrate cutting-edge techniques across cloud computing, artificial intelligence and data analytics into an open-source application to monitor coral reefs. This will enable reef scientists to share data faster, foster collaboration between scientists and organizations and ultimately assist in worldwide conservation efforts.
The Eco Innovation Challenge was a gateway to cement the path of impact for Project Coral-ation as well as expand our network of partners, connect with industry leaders and strengthen the alliance between Accenture and AIMS.
Collaboration is our superpower
Since its conception, the Accenture team that supports AIMS in its coral monitoring efforts has expanded significantly across three continents—Australia, Europe and the U.S.—bringing together a diverse set of skills from design expertise, advanced analytics to partnership strategies.
A key success factor of Project Coral-ation is collaboration itself—across organizations and across the world, including the likes of: Accenture Development Partnerships (ADP) in Australia & the U.S, The Dock in Ireland, Zag in New Zealand as well as Accenture Interactive’s Fjord and Maud in Australia.
Everyone in our team is united by our passion for climate conservation and desire to make an impact. Despite the team being geographically dispersed, collaborating across the globe was not a challenge for us. Cross-border and cross-cultural collaboration is our superpower and part of what makes us who we are at Accenture. By combining our skills, perspectives, and experiences from different parts of the world, we were able to bring the best of Accenture’s ecosystem to Project Coral-ation.
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I’m proud that Accenture is making sustainability one of its greatest responsibilities. By partnering with the United Nations to drive progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, and through initiatives like the Eco Innovation Challenge, we’re supporting our people's passions, giving them the platforms to create a more sustainable future for us all.
Harness the power of change to make an impact. Find your fit at Accenture.
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