Cognitive computing: A diverse and fast-growing market
The results showed that the top 10% of reef areas in terms of tourist travel produced nearly $6 billion per year across the Caribbean. In some locations (the Bahamas, Cayman Island, and Puerto Rico), visits from more than 1 million tourists per year are directly linked to coral reefs. “One of our key conclusions is that conservation of coral reefs is a win-win situation for both the environment and the tourism industry,” said Zach Ferdana, geospatial information officer (GIO) for The Nature Conservancy. “By maintaining the health of the reefs, the countries in the region will thrive economically through their tourist industry.”
In addition to conducting the major study on the economic impact of coral reefs on the economies of Caribbean countries, The Nature Conservancy also developed a set of AI-based tools to support its mission of educating government and the private sector. For example, in its “Mapping Ocean Wealth” project, an AI-powered web app allows researchers and other users to measure the correlation between spending and presence of reefs in order to provide a very granular view of this relationship. In one demonstration to Florida Key officials, The Nature Conservancy demonstrated that each square kilometer of reef accounted for over $1 million per year in local revenues.
The AI platform is also monitoring Twitter posts related to flooding in Semarang, Indonesia. The data is then used to map in real time the conditions in areas that are susceptible to flooding. This information can be used both for short-term response and long-term planning to encourage such measures as restoring mangrove ecosystems, which help reduce coastal flooding. “We believe that this type of information will become increasingly important as climate change impacts sea levels and weather patterns,” Ferdana noted.
The Nature Conservancy is enthusiastic about using technology effectively to further its mission. “We have been fortunate to be able to partner with Microsoft, Esri, and other big technology companies” commented Ferdana. “These leading organizations have shared their resources, including significant amounts of staff time, so that we can leverage this innovative technology and begin developing in-house expertise. With AI, we can monitor trends in real time, staying up-to-date on the condition of the environment while understanding the closer inter-relationships between ecosystems such as coral reefs and the surrounding economies.