LAUNCHING THE GRAND CHALLENGES OF OCEANS CONSERVATION
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About Asher Jay Asher&Jay&is&saving&the&world’s& threatened& wildlife—with&creativity.& Jay&uses& groundbreaking& design,&multimedia&arts,&literature,&and&lectures&to&inspire&global&action& to&combat&illegal&wildlife&trafficking,&advance& environmental& issues,&and&promote& humanitarian& causes.& Her& upcoming& projects& will&tackle& biodiversity& loss&during& the& Anthropocene and&expose&threats&to&the&world's&most&traded&and&endangered& mega& fauna. Jay’s&projects& have&each&become&global&sensations.& Yet&her&ultimate&goal&is&to&motivate& the&one&person& she&believes&holds&the&real&power& to&determine& nature’s& fate.&You.
www.asherjay.com VISION Our vision is to harness disruptive fnancial, technological, and behavior change innovations to dramatically increase the efcacy, speed, and sustainability of conservation eforts, and to ensure that we will bring the most transformative ideas to scale.
OCEAN CONSERVATION LANDSCAPING FRAMEWORK:
3 Introduction
The Challenge of 9.6 Billion
We are in the middle of a period of middle class for protein, consumer and habitat destruction are increasing extraordinary change on the planet, a goods, and energy, while simultaneously exponentially while our solutions increase sixth great mass extinction. Unlike the decreasing our environmental footprint. incrementally. previous mass extinction events, this Billions of dollars are spent on Conservation has been at times is the frst extinction in Earth’s history conservation eforts but although we historically technophobic, risk-averse, and that is driven by the actions of a single may be winning individual battles, we are backward looking, but this is starting to species. During this period, the earth losing the war. A result of this exceptional change. Just as we are driving extinction, has been fundamentally changing human transformation of the planet is we have the power to reverse it. We physically, chemically, biologically, and the dramatic increase in our planet’s can apply our unparalleled innovation ecologically. extinction rates. Extinction rates are capacity and harness exponential The twin forces of environmental currently 1,000 times that of background technological advances to engineer degradation and global climatic disruption extinction rates, and these even exceed resilience to global environmental have led to a crisis in nature. The other mass extinction events by at least changes, change demand and incentive chemistry of our oceans and atmosphere an order of magnitude. One in every four structures to alter our behavior, and is changing. The planet’s natural cycles mammals and one in every eight birds improve our ability to monitor and protect are showing unprecedented variability. now face a high risk of extinction in the species around the world. Much as Entire ecological communities are near future. But with only an estimated humanity has caused these problems, we reorganizing or disappearing. Invasive 9% of marine species known to science, have the ability to solve them. species at multiple scales—from the mass extinction in the ocean is likely The time of conservation as a microbial pathogens, to insects, birds, to be even more immense. Moreover, 95% predominantly philanthropic and and mammals—are crossing into new of the 1.8 million named species have academic activity has passed; we have geographical areas. yet to be evaluated for their conservation entered into an urgent new reality status, and almost none of those are in These trends are unlikely to reverse where the conservation of our natural the ocean. What we do know is that, based anytime soon. The planet’s population is ecosystems and resources is fundamental on trends of 5,829 populations of 1,234 expected to rise to 9.6 billion by 2050, to human, economic, and national security. mammal, bird, reptile and fsh species, and with it, a need for a 70% increase in We have unique opportunities to build marine populations have shown a decline new companies, new markets and new food production, coupled with a 1.9-fold of 49% between 1970 and 2012. innovations, and to bring in new solvers increase in irrigation, a 2.4-fold increase and new disciplines into conservation. in nitrogen deposition, a 2.7-fold increase Conservation is not succeeding quickly in phosphorous deposition, and a 2.7- enough or efectively enough to meet This vision for conservation will generate fold increase in pesticide use, if there is these challenges. In a world with an new opportunities and create radically not a signifcant improvement in plant ever-increasing population and billions of diferent ways of conserving our productivity. The biggest challenges consumers emerging out of poverty, our environment. And as life began in the sea, will not only be population growth, but natural resources are under increasing so will we. We will begin this new vision also meeting the desires of an emerging pressure. The problems of extinction with our oceans.
4 Introduction
Smart Gear 2.0
WWF, in partnership with industry prize. Nor were there avenues to bring through maker faires, hackathons, and leaders, governments, scientists, and even more promising ideas that required challenges? What are the costs and fshers, launched the International additional technical or engineering benefts of doing so? Smart Gear Competition in 2004 to expertise to fruition. 3. Incubate, accelerate, and scale. As reduce bycatch by improving fsheries Now, after more than a decade, there it is insufcient for ideas to languish gear. The focus in the competition is an opportunity to build on the Smart as prototypes or pilots, we explore was on gear modifcations for “fshing Gear model. This analysis looks at acceleration pathways for new smarter”: modifcations that increase expansion through three lenses: companies and innovations coming the chances of escape for non-target out of a new set of challenges 1. Expand the scope of the problem. species, or reduce the overall numbers and other design processes. This How can we expand the focus of the of non-target species caught. The may include developing potential competition invited submissions of innovation program from reducing partnerships with existing incubation practical, cost-efective solutions, and bycatch to addressing other grand and acceleration programs, creating ofered cash prizes totaling $65,000. challenges in marine conservation? a dedicated conservation accelerator, Despite its modest funding, the 2. Expand the scope of the program. licensing intellectual property and competition has been a success. Smart WWF has recognized that there were then taking the technology to market Gear was designed to inspire creative many workable ideas that were not directly, supporting innovators around thinkers through open innovation for yet ready for the Smart Gear prize, engineering, product development, ideas that have practical applications but that could have had an even design, and business; and creating for fshing smarter. In particular, it was greater impact if given the chance a new global fund to take the most highly efective at sourcing great ideas to develop. How can we source new promising ideas to scale. from those closest to the problem— ideas, refne and iterate product In this analysis, we will review how we people engaged in the fshing industry. design and engineering, and move may build on the inspiration gained It was less efective at attracting them along a product development from Smart Gear, to transform the innovators outside of the industry. pathway? What partnerships could we ocean conservation space by creating a Designed to fnd new solutions, it also create with universities, industry, and pipeline of new innovations, bringing in did not have a formalized pathway engineering and design frms? How new solvers and new solutions, and by to scale or commercialization for the could we harness open innovation taking those solutions to scale. The frst innovations/innovators that won the to improve design and performance step is the Big Think.
Smart Gear was designed to inspire creative thinkers through open innovation for ideas that have practical applications for fishing smarter
5 Introduction
The Big Think
The Big Think is a problem-solving and acceleration, and explore which that we can start solving these critical catalyst, connecting existing dots approaches would work best in conservation problems. in new ways to unlock innovative addressing the most pressing challenges. Third, the Big Think will create a set answers. Complex problems, by The scafolding for the Grand Challenges of commitments to help us reimagine defnition, have many forces at play and Oceans X Labs will be built from this oceans conservation. We will ask and afect many parties. We use unique co-design event. participants to provide their technical collaborative engagement to tackle Second, the Big Think will build a tribe expertise and introductions, to work with these complex and systemic problems. around a set of Grand Challenges for us and our innovators on refning ideas, This process is designed to widen the Oceans Conservation. As conservation and to partner with us to launch the problem-solving lens and harness the needs to expand its ranks to include Grand Challenges for Oceans. collective intelligence that resides both new disciplines, new solvers, and within and outside of the conservation The Big Think is intended to galvanize new solutions, the Big Think can help community, facilitating the network support for a global fund for a set of to uncover synergies and co-design build a community of practice for the Grand Challenges and to create an innovative solutions that no one entity next generation of conservationists to innovation pipeline. This could include could do on its own. accelerate and substantially increase the creation of a global partnership to conservation’s impact through its fund the creation of new innovations, Specifcally, we will use the Big Think transformation. development of incubation and to achieve the following: We will build a novel community from acceleration platforms, new vehicles to First, we will use the Big Think to help the existing conservation movement, unlock university intellectual property prioritize the most critical problems but will also engage technologists, and apply it to oceans conservation, and for ocean conservation and build the biological engineers, designers, co-fnancing and investment to help investment and commitment behind makers, innovators, hackers, marketers, bring both existing enterprises and new a new set of global competitions. We fnanciers, and anthropologists. Our role technologies to scale. will also use this event to design the is to be a catalyst, connector, amplifer, The aim of the Big Think is to beneft innovation and acceleration platform and mobilizer within the conservation from the collective genius of the itself. community, relying upon an ecosystem extraordinary individuals we have The Big Think will look at additional of institutions and individuals that brought together. Through a synthesis sourcing pathways (expanded prizes enable us to efectively understand, of their expertise, we can refne our or challenges, hackathons, design source, test, and accelerate conservation existing ideas, realize our vision, and sessions, directed innovation, solutions. It is only through productive, create new opportunities for ocean university competitions), incubation, collaborative approaches like this conservation.
The aim of the Big Think is to benefit from the collective genius of the extraordinary individuals we have brought together.
6 Introduction
The oceans, despite covering most of the LANDSCAPING MAP planet, are among the least-understood Simultaneous to understanding leverage The ecosystems on Earth. What data we do points for disruptive change in the oceans, have indicate that they have been heavily Ocean Grand exploited, and that a signifcant portion of we have developed a method of mapping the planet is dependent on this ecosystem and a systemic model for understanding for its wellbeing. The oceans’ fsheries are the feld of ocean conservation via Challenges: overtaxed, marine habitats from technology. It involves collaborative mangroves to reefs are increasingly sense-making through desk research and Expanding degraded, and the basic chemistry and interviews. geophysical processes of the oceans are This work is best presented in slide changing, including their pH, temperature, format: please click here for a tour of the the Scope volume, and circulation patterns. This set model. The tour will guide you through of challenges is daunting. However, we the systemic components that need have an opportunity now to harness our ingenuity to better understand the rates to be considered when approaching of change underway within ocean conservation technology from a holistic systems, to restore degraded ocean perspective. Due to the large size of the environments, and to develop substitutes map, it can only be viewed in full online or for products that are threatening the projected on a wall. Click here to explore oceans. the full map online.
1. A Blue Revolution for Oceans: Reengineering Aquaculture Ten Grand for Sustainability Challenges 2. Ending and Recovering from Marine Debris for Ocean 3. Transparency and Traceability from Sea to Shore: Ending Over-Fishing 4. Protecting Critical Ocean Habitats: New Tools for Marine Protection
Conservation 5. Engineering Ecological Resilience in Nearshore and Coastal Areas
6. Reducing the Ecological Footprint of Fishing through Smarter Gear
7. Arresting the Alien Invasion: Combating Invasive Species
8. Combating the Efects of Ocean Acidifcation
9. Ending Marine Wildlife Trafcking
10. Reviving Dead Zones: Combating Ocean Deoxygenation, Dead Zones, and Nutrient Runof
7 Challenge 1
Challenge 1 A Blue Revolution for Oceans: Reengineering Aquaculture for Sustainability
THE PROBLEM Global demand for protein is anticipated to skyrocket in the coming decades. Aquaculture has the potential to produce a signifcant proportion of the world’s nutrition. And while the current aquaculture industry is a vital producer for the global fsh market, supplying 58 percent of the fsh we eat, much aquaculture (particularly predatory fsh and prawn) remains unsustainable, degrading both land and marine habitat, risking the introduction or spread of invasive and genetically modifed species and pathogens, and polluting surrounding ecosystems. Many aquaculture farms are also economically unsustainable. Ninety-fve percent of aquaculture occurs in the developing world where access to current technologies and capital, coupled with weak regulation, are barriers to change. Moreover, while aquaculture is a direct response to depleted fsheries, as an industry it relies heavily on wild-caught fsh to feed captive fsh. The following constraints need to be overcome to solve this grand challenge. THE CHALLENGE Develop aquaculture technologies, and conversion of critical habitat, such fsh in feed, aquaculture could become products, and systems that are more as coastal wetlands and mangroves, to signifcantly more sustainable, nutritious, sustainable, reduce harmful by-products ponds. New designs and technologies and proftable. or environmental degradation, and need to address water pollution from New Ocean Products: The vast majority replace less sustainable products & antibiotics, herbicides, pesticides, of aquaculture farms produce just a few systems. piscicides, disinfectants, suspended solids, and other efuents. Further products such as shrimp and certain Aquaculture has the potential to fnfsh. The challenge is to vastly expand transform global food systems for the elements to the challenge could include the range and quality of aquaculture better. To do so requires innovations in rethinking where aquaculture should take products to meet rising human demand three areas: (a) system design; (b) inputs; place — alternative ideas may include for protein while decreasing aquaculture’s (c) product innovation. aquaculture within cities, on barges, in reclaimed land, or farther ofshore in the environmental footprint. Fish and other Sustainable Design: Aquaculture farms, open ocean. species from aquaculture farms can be particularly those farming carnivorous less nutritious than wild fsh and even fsh, are inefcient, result in signifcant Rethinking Feed: The challenge is potentially unhealthy for humans as a pollution, and can threaten human health. to create highly nutritional feed for result of bioaccumulation of antimicrobial The challenge is to produce whole- aquaculture products that is sourced carcinogens, antibiotics, and toxic system aquaculture farms that produce without environmental degradation. algae. In addition, there is little efort to multiple species and products in a We would be seeking solutions for domesticate new wild fsh species or to closed-loop system that generates both aquaculture that reduce the burden on safe, nutritious food and does not harm the natural environment to produce food develop non-fsh or shellfsh products. the environment. Current threats to the for people. At present, marine ingredients The opportunity for more production ocean environment from aquaculture in feed for fsh come in large part from from algae, invertebrates, and low include escapement and species wild fsh stocks. This can deplete natural trophic-level fsh species could result in invasion (non-native/GMO), disease fshery populations. By incentivizing signifcant increases in the production of transfer from cultured fsh to wild fsh, the creation of replacements for wild nutritious food.
8 Challenge 1
BACKGROUND
State of global aquaculture: While grass beds and other sensitive systems to fsheries globally are nearing the point aquaculture is leading to the destruction of collapse, the worldwide demand for of vast stretches of valuable ocean protein is expected to continue to grow habitat and species globally. rapidly. Aquaculture as a solution is Inputs: While helping to relieve pressure expected to at least double in outputs by on at-risk and collapsed fsheries, 2050. To date, aquaculture food supply aquaculture has its own unique per capita and total production value sustainability challenges. The most have grown at an annual rate of almost prominent sustainability challenge is the 9% for decades, and farmed seafood feed used in aquaculture, which accounts has overtaken production from capture for 40-70% of production costs and fsheries. Fish farming has enabled puts heavy demands on wild fsheries, seafood consumption (and access to which are the primary source of current protein) to continue to increase even as feeds. With the dramatic growth in the marine fsheries production has fat-lined. aquaculture industry, prices for fsh meal Aquaculture as a Production is heavily concentrated in and fsh oil—prime constituents of many solution is expected Asia, particularly China [FAO]. Given aquaculture feeds—are skyrocketing that agriculture already uses 11% of [Lux Research]. Fish meal and fsh oil to at least double in the world’s land surface [FAO], and that largely come from harvested pelagic outputs by 2050. climate change particularly threatens fsh like anchovies and for one kilo of global rice production [IRRI], aquaculture farmed fsh it can require anywhere from presents a huge opportunity to meet 0 to 20 kg of wild fsh. Further, many of rising demand for food. the species harvested for fsh meal and oil are targeted indiscriminately and Environmental health: Most aquaculture even referred to as “trash fsh” when occurs in natural systems (lakes, coastal in actuality the catch from these trawl ecosystems) using underwater cages or catches can include numerous fsh of man-made rafts, longlines or racks, which high value and ecological signifcance, have a variety of efects on the local but which are not of any market value biogeography and overall environmental because of their size. health. There is a higher risk of disease or parasite outbreaks within farms and Market structure: Aquaculture as an between farmed and wild fsh where industry is poorly managed and relatively highly intensive farming practices are unregulated globally. According to the used in small containment areas. Escaped FAO, around 90% of the world’s 18.9 fsh may weaken the genetic strength of million fsh farmers are small-scale wild populations, bring novel diseases, producers from developing countries. and introduce exotic invasive species Aquaculture is currently facing major into ecosystems. Local waterways and economic pressures in the form of ecosystems risk pollution and depletion rising feed prices, which may present of ecosystem health as a result of opportunities to introduce better and excessive fsh and aquaculture waste. Just more sustainable feed technologies. as with production of terrestrial crops, Sustainable businesses can also demand excessive use of chemicals including higher prices for their products, create fertilizers and pesticides can harm new distribution networks that help marine organisms and human health. producers access larger or higher value Conversion of critical coastal habitat markets, and be better insulated from such as mangroves, estuary mouths, sea price volatility.
9 Challenge 1
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
Aquaculture may be the protein source of racks of mollusks to grow seafood while the future, yet as the industry currently reducing the nutrient pollution in urban stands, it is in need of innovations to environments. Aquaculture can also be improve efciency, sustainability, and integrated with urban farming such that long-term viability. high value plants directly utilize nutrient wastes. Here are a few emerging examples of behavioral, technological and fnancial Aquaculture can rebuild natural capital, innovations with the potential to drive rather than destroy it. systems-wide change. Veta La Palma is an estate covering Sustainable Design: Improvements in 28,000 ha in Spain with integrated dry design can rethink both where we grow crops, rice felds, and marshlands that fsh, as well as how we grow them. supports sustainable aquaculture while While redesigning aquaculture systems simultaneously providing habitat to 250 to reduce their environmental impact on bird species. When the company began, coasts, we may alternatively rethink the only about 50 bird species were recorded need to grow fsh in coastal waters. New in the area. Veta La Palma designed its techniques for open-ocean aquaculture fsh ponds to allow for up to 20% loss of could relieve pressure on near coast productivity—not to disease, or escaped ecosystems and open up signifcant new fsh, but to resident waterfowl. Veta La space for producing seafood. Palma illustrates how holistic business practices can lead to productivity gains Kampachi Farms is a Hawaii-based while taking into account ecosystem mariculture company that has focused on services beyond ‘provisioning’, such as of-shore fsh production for Yellowtail enhanced landscape and biodiversity sushi-grade fsh, and reduction of fsh value. meal as feed. Similarly, there may be opportunities to integrate aquaculture Rethinking Inputs: There is signifcant with terrestrial agriculture. Combined research attention focused on alternative agriculture and aquaculture farms can feed sources for aquaculture, including also create new sources of vegetarian generating feed from soy, seaweed, feed that provide substitutes for fsh- ethanol/biofuels waste products, algae, based feeds, diversify incomes, and create yeast, bacteria, and insects. Enterra Feed secondary products through high quality Corp., based in Vancouver, is operating organic fertilizers. Aonori Aquafarms has what appears to be the world’s frst turned the coastal Baja desert into shrimp commercial-scale facility to turn black farms, harnessing mats of native Pacifc soldier fy larvae into feed for farmed fsh, seaweed not only as a natural food source livestock, and pets. The company’s $7.5 for shrimp, but also as a protective cover million insect-rearing production facility that moderates the environment variation in Langley, British Columbia, has the and reduces energy consumption. capacity to transform 36,000 tons of food Aquaculture in urban environments also waste each year into 2,500 tons of protein serves to bring food closer to consumers. and oil and 3,000 tons of organic fertilizer. Oko Farms in New York has created The company has secured approval to a demonstration aquaculture project sell its products in Washington, Oregon, in Brooklyn, New York. Other models California, Indiana, Illinois, and Idaho of urban aquaculture propose using [ImpactAlpha]. Calysta Nutrition is barges to cycle riverine water through developing and producing FeedKind™, a
10 Challenge 1
new and natural fsh meal replacement may help reduce ocean acidifcation. produced through an efcient, methane- Examples include the development eating natural microbe that produces of red seaweed varieties with bacon protein. FeedKind™ has a smaller carbon taste [Business Insider], and harnessing footprint than soy and is proven to be kelp in novel ways and for novel uses a healthy, readily available, and highly [Ocean Approved]. AquaSpark is the frst digestible alternative for fsh meal. venture fund committed to accelerating New Ocean Products: While aquaculture the deployment of innovations for focuses primarily on fsh, harvesting aquaculture. Having just closed their frst seaweed or other ocean plant/algae may round of funding, several very promising have signifcant potential for providing technologies and farm systems have now sustainable food supplies, particularly in received early stage investment. Venture integrated productive systems. Seaweed capital can bring small aquaculture production may be net-carbon-negative; facilities to scale. In addition, the red seaweed thrives in nitrogen-polluted BioMarine industry association is in the waters and removes excess nitrogen process of creating angel-stage funding from the water. Cultivation of sea lettuce for small innovation opportunities.
While redesigning aquaculture systems to reduce their environmental impact on coasts, we may alternatively rethink the need to grow fish in coastal waters.
11 Challenge 2
Challenge 2 Ending and Recovering from Marine Debris THE PROBLEM The ocean is downstream from everywhere else on Earth. Many major river systems and waterways in population centers have a direct path to the oceans, resulting in more than 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic debris weighing over 250,000 tons, among other trash, being deposited in the ocean. Marine debris continues to rise as a result of increased human activity in river basins and inefective waste management systems across the globe. This has lead to debris (including clothing fbers, plastics, and other pollutants) conglomerating in massive ocean garbage patches. These patches are a challenge to address as a result of the composition and depth to which the trash penetrates. Plastic marine debris breaks down into smaller pieces until they are microscopic and distribute throughout the water column. These areas are in the global commons and, with no clear owners, responsibility is difuse.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT
Reduce plastic marine debris in the Around 80% of marine debris foating it takes to degrade, and what impact it is oceans by 90% in 10 years, and undo in the world’s oceans is plastic. Although having on marine life. What is known is the harm that has already been done. most marine debris is from the land, an troubling. additional source is from galley waste The Marine Debris Grand Challenge Ocean plastics absorb chemical and other trash from ships, recreational would focus on the three elements boaters and fshermen (nets and foats), pollutants, becoming highly toxic. of the input system: (a) reinventing and ofshore oil and gas exploration and Studies have shown that the material goods at the chemical level production facilities. concentration of toxic chemicals, such so that rogue trash entering the ocean as PCBs and DDT, can be up to a million can quickly and easily biodegrade, (b) At present, 15—40% of littered or times greater in plastic debris than the stopping plastic pollution and other dumped plastic enters the oceans every concentrations found in seawater. Such debris from entering the ocean, and year. More than 5.25 trillion pieces large and small debris are eaten by sea (c) creating innovations to manage and of plastic debris are currently in the life, including fsh, sea birds, turtles, and clean up the trash already in the ocean ocean, increasing by 4—12 million marine mammals, introducing toxins into and reversing its negative side efects. metric tons per year, with an average the food chain, and causing problems of 13,000 pieces of foating plastic per square kilometer of ocean. However, through blockage or perforation of the the exact quantity of particulate plastic digestive tracts of sea life. According to (or microplastics) in the ocean is still recent papers, many more organisms unknown and difcult to measure. Ocean ingest small plastic particles than plastics break down into smaller pieces previously thought. Floating debris can until they are microscopic. Scientists still also negatively afect physical habitats do not know where more than 99% of such as clogging up coral reefs or ocean plastic debris ends up, how long mangroves, reducing their productivity.
12 Challenge 2
Despite eforts toward standardized the existence) of waste management waste management in North America facilities. No nation takes full and Europe, the net amount of responsibility for cleaning up marine nonbiodegradable matter entering pollution in international waters. Even the ocean continues to grow. This is if a country were to do so, the clean up especially true for Asian and Latin would only temporarily solve a fraction American countries where growing of the problem, as existing waste participation in consumer economies disposal patterns would soon replace outstrips the capacity (or frequently what was removed.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
Any solution needs to change the impact producing methane that can be turned Ocean Friendly Products: Ocean friendly of products entering in the oceans, back into PHA with Mango Materials’ products constitute objects and systems reduce the input of such products, and cradle-to-cradle process. Biodegradable designed to be ocean friendly, not extract the debris plastic could be used in consumer goods, ocean trash. Solutions include ocean that is already there. as well as for fshing gear, like nets. friendly product design for consumer Think Beyond Plastic is an incubator and industrial products and a shift Rethinking Plastics: Stopping plastic and small-scale venture fund to build toward closed loop material goods; pollution is a two pronged initiative that products and markets for biodegradable systems design for waste management simultaneously (a) accelerates green that is accessible for all socioeconomic chemistry substitutions for materials and recycled plastic products. Similar groups; improved infrastructure and innovation toward ocean-friendly developments are occurring with ship design for ocean transportation of polymers that will replace traditional replacements for Styrofoam. Evocative goods; and closed loop innovations in plastics in everyday goods, and (b) Design has developed packing materials textile recycling such as that innovated develops a closed loop, ecologically that use agricultural fbers and mycelium by Worn Again, so that used clothes and benign waste management system for (mushroom) as a replacement. textiles can be collected and processed both the developing and developed Waste Stream: Because most plastic back into new yarn, textiles, and clothes. worlds. As the developing world and other debris that reaches the ocean industrializes, it presents opportunities passes either through rivers and streams Extraction and Reuse: There have been to rethink assumptions and leapfrog or wastewater/stormwater outfalls, there a number of attempts to passively or traditional technology. is signifcant opportunity to disrupt the actively clean up ocean plastic. The area involved and the relatively low density Several eforts to create ocean- waste stream. Currently, there is little of plastic in the ocean have made most biodegradable plastics are underway innovation occurring in waste stream ideas untenable. The city of Baltimore from large chemical companies, food and technology. But the ability to flter, sort, has attempted to address this problem at beverage distributors, and small startup and separate materials cheaply could its source through the solar and current companies. Mango Materials transforms both incentivize the creation of new powered Inner Harbor Water Wheel, waste methane into biodegradable products from recycled materials, as which collects trash of the Jones River plastics that are economically and well as prevent these materials from before it reaches Baltimore Harbor. functionally competitive with oil-based reaching the ocean. This is particularly plastics. The methane is captured and important for microplastics and other One efort that has received a signifcant fed to naturally occurring bacteria that nanopollutants. Finally, there are also amount of attention for both its produce the biodegradable plastic. Once schemes to remove plastics before they audaciousness and its innovative that product is no longer needed, the hit the waste stream by creating building approach is Boyan Slat’s Ocean Cleanup polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) will break materials out of recycled plastics, such Initiative, one of the frst attempts to down in a microbe-rich environment as plastic bricks. intercept and remove plastics from
13 Challenge 2
the ocean through large arrays. The Bureo Inc. is a company that has technical and fnancial feasibility of established a fshing net collection the design has attracted signifcant and recycling program along the coast criticism—large V-shaped barrier of Chile, transforming the waste into arrays anchored on the sea foor skateboard decks. Their program, called concentrate plastics carried on ocean “Net Positiva,” buys ripped nets from currents toward a central platform, fshers who would otherwise need which extracts the plastic and stores it to dump them in the ocean to avoid for transport. However, Ocean Cleanup prohibitively expensive dumping fees. has achieved signifcant support and Envision Plastics has partnered with funding. According to claims, the array Method to create bottles with 5% is estimated to be nearly 8,000 times post-ocean high-density polyethylene, faster and 33 times cheaper than collected from beaches. The challenge conventional cleanup methods, but the is to create high-end consumer products criticism is that it vastly over-estimates with a higher degree of post-ocean its ability to solve the problem, and is plastics, but at equivalent costs to not fnancially sustainable. Time will tell. existing plastic products.
Around 80% of marine debris floating in the world’s oceans is plastic
14 Challenge 3
Challenge 3 Transparency and Traceability from Sea to Shore: Ending Overfshing
THE PROBLEM Overfshing remains the largest direct threat to marine ecosystems. With 80% of all global fsheries at or beyond full exploitation, managing the massive quantity of fshing—including illegal as well as legal overfshing—remains an immediate challenge. Current fshing feets are estimated to be 250% larger than what is sustainable, and this system is plagued with insufcient resources to efectively stem the tide. Moreover, the supply chain for seafood products involves a complex web of middlemen that mask the origins of fsh, making enforcement of sustainability standards difcult. Challenges for overfshing include monitoring fshing activity at the source, creating more efcient tracking and enforcement mechanisms, increasing barriers to entry for unsustainable fsh products into global markets, and infuencing demand structures associated with seafood products.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Transform the monitoring and including ways to empower these An estimated 80% of global fsh stocks enforcement of fsheries management groups as enforcers of fshing are fully exploited or overexploited. through innovations and systems that regulations and accelerate better data Fisheries have provided increasingly prevent overfshing, ensure true end-to- collection. lower yields over the past few decades. end traceability, and produce actionable 2. Technologies that improve the Some industrial fshing feets have begun data on the health and quality of monitoring and management of to deplete stocks of fsh species not fsheries for communities to act more industrial fshing. sustainably. previously consumed in an efort to keep 3. Innovations for 100% end-to-end up with the demand for seafood, or use The challenge would seek innovations in traceability, reducing mislabeling, trawling practices that are devastating to four areas: and enhancing monitoring of seafood marine ecosystems. Though overfshing products from sea to store. 1. Suitable technologies and is generally driven by unsustainable innovations that would allow for 4. Traceability tied to novel fnancial practices even when not explicitly better measurement & management mechanisms that incentivize fshers banned, illegal or unregulated fshing of small-scale, artisanal fshing, and to behave sustainably by connecting can drive overfshing even when local inshore feets for sustainability of well-regulated markets to the fshers communities are attempting to manage both communities and ecosystems, themselves. their fsh stocks. Coupled with the
15 Challenge 3
fact that territories and barriers in the levels. In addition to these tools, it is oceans are often muddled in political critical to help build local governance controversy or are difcult to delineate and management capabilities. physically, there can be no enforcement Further, local demand is often of protected areas without serious overlooked as a driver of overfshing investments of fnancial and human trends. Fisheries in the developing world resources. are critical to local nutritional needs. Once the seafood products enter Seafood contributes at least 15% of the the global market at packaging and average animal protein consumption for processing plants, tracking the source 2.9 billion people and as much as 50% becomes more complicated for for some small island and West African Efforts to scale the management ofcials, wholesalers, states. For many of those who live in retailers, and consumers. The seafood poverty (under $1.25 per day), seafood solutions to a much supply chain is comprised of a worldwide is a major source of omega-3 fatty acids network of hundreds of thousands of that are essential for brain development greater number of markets producers (fshers and fsh farmers), and provides important micronutrients. thousands of processors, and tens of and fisheries are needed The services of well-managed fsheries thousands of wholesalers and brokers sustain coastal communities that to ensure that traceability that buy and sell over 800 commercially rely on subsistence fshing for food. important species of fsh, crustaceans, becomes more than a high- Unfortunately, these developing world and mollusks. A single fsh may circle the fsheries are often some of the most end consumer concern. globe and be touched by 20 diferent threatened. They are also places where entities before making its way to the innovations specifcally designed for the consumer. However, key identifying constraints faced by these communities information—the species name, where could help mitigate overfshing. and when it was caught and with what type of gear, and where it was Overfshing as a phenomenon of human processed—rarely accompanies a fsh on behavior has broad implications. The its journey from the ocean to the plate. ocean as a whole is difcult to manage Although illegal behavior may grab and protect as territorial lines are often headlines, in many of the most critical disputed and surveillance of key fshing habitats there are few laws to enforce. areas is minimal at best, facilitating Unreported and unregulated behavior the myriad unsustainable behaviors has at least as large an impact on fsh that result in overfshing. Fishing is an stocks as does overtly illegal activity. economic driver as much as a source Developing countries account for 50% of of food with over 2.1 million estimated the seafood entering international trade, motorized fshing vessels, 90% of yet represent only 7% of the Marine which are small vessels less than 12 Stewardship Council certifed fsheries. meters long. Because fsh stocks are Progress toward ensuring sustainable often hard to quantify and visualize and management and end-to-end traceability fsherman struggle to maintain economic requires fnding new solutions for security, the tragedy of the commons is fsheries in developing countries that are a frequent occurrence where fsh stocks designed for local constraints of cost, are depleted rapidly in the pursuit of environment, suitability, and education individual yields.
16 Challenge 3
EMERGING SOLUTIONS Traceability has been a focus area for the Trax, an electronic fshery information application of innovation and technology. platform that revolutionizes the way However, it has largely focused on the fsheries information is collected, highest value fsh in the highest margin analyzed, and shared; ThisFish, a web- markets in Europe and North America. based traceability tool that collects catch, Eforts to scale the solutions to more processing, and handling information markets and fsheries are needed to from harvesters and processors; and ensure that traceability becomes more SeaTrace, which gives consumers and than a high-end consumer concern. retail buyers on-demand access to detailed information about the seafood Management of Artisanal Fisheries: they are purchasing through a QR code Pelagic Data Systems has developed that, when scanned with a mobile app, low-cost, rugged sensors that can shows information about the fsher monitor feet locations, activity, storage (including images), when and where the temperature, and catch methods that fsh was caught, as well as nutritional can help artisanal fsheries sell to information. Finally, TraceAll Global premium markets and meet certifcation has developed web-based supplier standards. The system is $200 for two management tools for supermarkets and years of service, and has been deployed restaurant chains that enable creation in Indonesia and Honduras. The system of an audit trail of the ingredients, harnesses cell phone networks once sources, and production conditions of the users return to land, and it is solar the inventory they are purchasing as well powered. as smartphone-based systems to enable Management and Enforcement of fshers in remote areas to document their Industrial Fishing & GeoFencing: catch, trade with processors, and fsh SoarOcean and Conservation Drones are legally and sustainably. harnessing low-cost drone technology The European Union invested €3.9M to improve conservation monitoring and into the FishPopTrace research program enforcement for marine systems. WWF to develop traceability approaches and navama developed a new vessel- using single-nucleotide polymorphisms tracking tool called Map My Track, and a (SNPs) to determine species identity data-sharing platform, TransparentSea. and population of origin for major org, which ofers fsheries worldwide commercial fsh species. The Fish the possibility to register and make Barcode of Life Initiative (FISH-BOL) is a their fshing activities transparent. global efort to coordinate the assembly With their registration, fsheries agree of a standardized reference sequence to share satellite AIS 24/7 data, vessel library for all fsh species. Advanced monitoring systems (VMS) data or other sequencing techniques, including location-based data for their vessels with nanopore technology, will soon permit independent experts from WWF, navama, portable, feld-based, whole genome other NGOs, governments, and science. sequencing. This will allow for on-the- Traceability from Sea to Store: Numerous dock identifcation of the population and data and inventory management tools origin of a fsh, including whether or not have been developed. These include Fish that population is sustainably managed.
17 Challenge 4
Challenge 4 Protecting Critical Ocean Habitats: New Tools for Marine Protection
THE PROBLEM Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) have been growing in number in recent years, driven in part by the Convention on Biological Diversity. As the necessary parks of the sea, MPAs face signifcant challenges with monitoring and enforcement, mostly limited to single interventions or scattered mixtures of innovative uses of technology and traditional vessel-based monitoring. The enforcement and monitoring of MPAs is made largely inefectual by distance and the inability to monitor and enforce remotely. Moreover, the establishment of MPAs as static plots of the ocean has been called into question, as the dynamics of oceans and marine species make ecological protection difcult in a single location. Locating and solidifying MPAs is an imprecise science that lacks the information and technological integration to be more efcient in achieving conservation outcomes.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Real-time monitoring of everything on Around 3.4% of the world’s oceans are human-set political boundaries; they or below the water with surveillance protected in what are designated marine are dynamic systems characterized by technology and data analytics designed protected areas (MPAs), yet most of that constant change. for afordability and autonomy within fraction of the ocean is neither well Economically and environmentally, the developing and developed world. managed nor well protected, if protected ecologically coherent and well-managed at all. Expansion of MPAs is largely This challenge would seek innovations networks of MPAs make sense. It is an efort of policy and the political that: estimated that nearly 41% of the ocean apparatus. Fully protected areas, such 1. Create open source tools and data is strongly afected by human activity, as strict nature reserves or wilderness analytics to map baselines to better with no region entirely untouched areas where all resource removals are assess ecosystem productivity; by humans. WWF estimates that the prohibited, are rare. Most MPAs represent benefts of expanding MPAs to cover 2. Allow for mobile, low-cost, real-time mixed-use areas that have bans on 30% of the ocean (especially critical monitoring and surveillance of MPAs catching specifc fsh or restrictions habitats) will outweigh the costs at against threats (e.g., identifying illegal on the timing or type of fshing, but least 3 to 1, with the net improvement fshing practices such as dynamite that still allow some, often signifcant, in economic benefts of $920 billion fshing, or violations of no-take human activity. Protected areas in the over the next 35 years. MPAs not only zones), including transparent, low ocean, unlike a forest patch, are far more further environmental protection, but by cost, cooperative tools for fshing difcult to manage and face increasing allowing source populations to replenish communities to monitor and self- challenges, especially as they expand fshing grounds, also maintain the police MPAs; and to enforce boundaries and policies with sustainability and economic strength of 3. Harness novel approaches to no observable boundaries or protective local fshing industries. real-time adaptive management of barriers to the sea. Moreover, marine relevant marine areas. species and ecosystems do not respect Political processes create these
18 Challenge 4
networks, yet enforcement and drastically impact the health of local accountability remain major challenges ecosystems unless properly controlled. as marine parks globally are commonly At the heart, this requires afordable, understafed, cannot adequately autonomous systems that can monitor, oversee all protected coastline survey, and measure the activities and and marine space, may come into ecological processes in MPAs and novel confrontation with local traditions, and fnancial systems to ensure that MPA may sufer from corruption. Even when management allows for broad sharing properly managed, eco-tourism can of benefts.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
Potential solutions overlap not only with of the Wave Glider. OpenROV has Rica’s Cocos Island to the illegal fshing the solutions for wildlife trade and illegal pioneered open-source, frugal design of sharks. The solution would utilize fshing, but also with new solutions for underwater exploration. The XPRIZE existing technology for recording for addressing land-based poaching Foundation has indicated plans to launch acoustic data and combine it with of endangered species. The number of a prize competition for breakthrough real-time sensors to alert park rangers technologies that will enable monitoring underwater vehicles that could advance and direct their swift action toward and surveillance of wild populations is autonomous marine vehicle technologies the area of warning. Other emerging rapidly increasing. This includes new even further. technologies will allow us to capitalize underwater, aerial, and satellite-based Next generation innovations include on new swarming autonomous vehicles sensors, as well as an abundance of new creating a connected ecosystem, (AUVs) or the ability for multiple AUVs to autonomous vehicles. Developments in allowing scientists and conservationists “mule” energy and integrate data from autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) to see changes to an ecosystem the centralized moorings. and surface gliders are advancing rapidly. instant they occur. Future innovations Finally, there is signifcant opportunity As an example, Liquid Robotics recently may harness FM bands and hydrophones, won the Economist Ocean Innovation borrowing from work done by Rainforest to capitalize on ship monitoring systems, Challenge, for its second-generation Connection to fght rainforest poachers such as AIS or VMS. By capitalizing Wave Glider, a hybrid wave- and solar- and illegal loggers with autonomous, on increased satellite surveillance — powered glider that could help protect solar powered listening devices derived perhaps even highly distributed cube against illegal fshing as well as monitor from recycled android cell phones. The satellites — it may be possible to expand MPAs. Advances from other companies University of Washington’s Applied the capabilities of a system such as in gliders and AUVs are expected Physics Lab has proposed using acoustic SkyTruth to many more areas of the to quickly exceed the capabilities detection to alert park rangers in Costa ocean.
Even when properly managed, eco-tourism can drastically impact the health of local ecosystems unless properly controlled.
19 Challenge 5
Challenge 5 Engineering Ecological Resilience in Nearshore and Coastal Areas
THE PROBLEM Coastal Ecosystems—coral reefs, mangrove forests, and coastal wetlands—are facing constant pressures, coupled with chance events, that threaten their survival. They face the stress of human development, including pollution from industrial and agricultural activity, pressures from tourism, and destructive resource extraction, which are magnifed by the efects of climate change, including rising sea levels, increased storm energy, and acidifcation. Due to these stressors, the critical ecological functions of these habitats continue to be lost at alarming rates. How can we improve the capacity of these systems to respond to stochastic perturbations, in the face of increasing deterministic pressures?
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Engineer resilience of nearshore & Coral reefs, mangrove forests, and harbor novel pharmaceutical compounds coastal ecosystems (coastal wetlands, coastal wetlands represent some of the that have provided treatments for cancer, mangroves, and coral reefs) against most biologically diverse and productive HIV, and malaria. greater perturbations of stress, reduce & habitats on earth. Coastal wetlands However, these ecosystems are in (which include salt marshes, sea grass reverse proximate stressors, and restore danger due to human activities that beds, and mangrove swamps) provide degraded habitats through science, are intense and increasing; 50% of critical habitat to wildlife, flter out technology, and innovation. salt marshes, 35% of mangroves, and pollutants, and serve as nurseries for Specifcally, this challenge seeks 29% of sea grasses have been either fsheries. Coral reefs similarly provide innovations that: lost or degraded worldwide. More than habitat, spawning, and nurseries to 60% of the world’s reefs are under 1. Enhance ecological resilience multiple fsh species and are immense immediate and direct threat, and tropical to perturbation and accelerate warehouses of biological diversity. Coral reefs have already lost more than half adaptation to global climate change reefs support more species per unit area of their reef-building corals over the and local stressors through molecular than any other marine environment, last 30 years. Reefs are threatened and microbiological engineering; including about 4,000 species of fsh, by coastal development and habitat 800 species of hard corals and hundreds 2. Identify, reduce, and reverse destruction, watershed-based pollution, of other species, with perhaps an even proximate drivers for habitat marine pollution, and overfshing and greater number of species yet to be destructive fshing through the use degradation and destruction through discovered. These three coastal habitats of explosives and cyanide. Thirty-fve new fnancial and infrastructure are critical to humans as well. They percent of mangroves have been lost innovations; ofer food and livelihoods, provide due to clearance for aquaculture or 3. Restore degraded coral reefs, coastal coastal armament, store carbon, assist agriculture, overharvest for frewood wetlands, and mangroves through with nutrient cycling, provide important and construction, and pollution. Global ecological engineering. geophysical regulatory services and climate change further stresses these
20 Challenge 5
It is also prudent to ecosystems, exacerbating local threats to address the root causes of changing through changes in sea level, ocean climate, it is also prudent to explore the explore the potential to temperature, ocean circulation, and potential to augment the capacity of augment the capacity of acidity. reef and coastal organisms to tolerate reef and coastal organisms There is great concern that the high stress and to facilitate recovery after rates, magnitudes, and complexity disturbances. For all these ecosystems, to tolerate stress and to of environmental change—including the ability to understand the rate and facilitate recovery after habitat degradation, pollutants, drivers of change and reverse them, resource use, and climate change—are to adapt to changes under way, and disturbances. overwhelming the intrinsic capacity of to restore already degraded habitats corals, wetlands, and mangroves to adapt is critical to ensuring long-term and survive. Although it is important persistence.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
Reducing & Reversing Stressors. ecosystems, including mangrove forests, Engineering Ecological Resilience & Attempts to conserve coastal habitats will on a daily basis and are emerging as Accelerating Adaptation: Examples be insufcient without understanding potentially less expensive sources of of engineering ecological resilience the state of the ecosystems and their remote imagery. Citizen science and in corals have included accelerated health at scale, radically reducing advanced big data analytics can help evolution of resilient characteristics, existing stressors on these ecosystems, analyze the terabytes of data generated acclimatization, transplantation of and incentivizing habitat protection over by these systems. resilient populations, and active destruction. There are a number of new modifcation of the community Once baselines are established, we techniques that can be scaled to map, composition of coral-associated may use fnancial innovations including measure, and monitor the state of coastal microbes. Synthetic biology’s gene wetland banks, carbon markets through and nearshore ecosystems. XL Catlin editing breakthroughs (CRSPR) now “blue” carbon sinks, and conservation Seaview Survey provides systematically allows for the programming of the fnance to incentivize the protection of collected, high-defnition imagery to very assembly and instructions for life, coastal habitats from further degradation, monitor reefs globally, and shares the potentially increasing the speed by which and incentivize the restoration of data through its public website, providing species may adapt to changes in ocean degraded habitats. Green infrastructure 134,759 abundance records of 2,367 temperatures, acidity, and salinity. fsh taxa from 1,879 sites in coral and can reduce primary sources of ocean rocky reefs distributed worldwide. Future pollution, such as non-point source Advancing Restoration: Restoration of attempts will use citizen science to pollution (runof). Pollutants in runof coral reefs and mangroves has involved help analyze data. There are numerous include motor oil, trash, pet waste, direct interventions in rebuilding the of-the-shelf (e.g., Deep Trekker) or fertilizers, pesticides, and dirt, all of ecosystems. Structural interventions that do-it-yourself (OpenROV) underwater which can harm marine life. Runof can are in use and emerging include using rovers capable of visually photographing be diverted from the ocean through novel materials to create scafolding on and monitoring the ocean. Satellites green infrastructure, or low impact which corals can form. One approach are capable of mapping and monitoring development, like capturing rainwater in is through Biorock technology, which coral reefs, like NOAA’s Coral Reef green roofs, bioswales, rain gardens, and induces coral polyp settling via electrical Watch, but for a closer look at the corals, other engineered permeable surfaces impulses. As electric currents pass higher resolution satellites or aerial such as permeable pavement. However, through salt water, calcium carbonate photography is needed, from 1—40 adopting these designs on a large scale combines with magnesium, chloride, meters. Nanosatellites, such as those requires incentives to lower barriers, and hydroxyl ions around the cathode, deployed by Planet Labs, allow for global coupled with advances in technology to forming a substance similar to natural capabilities to monitor the status of lower the cost of adoption. reef substrates.
21 Challenge 6
Challenge 6 Reducing the Ecological Footprint of Fishing through Smarter Gear
THE PROBLEM Modern fshing practices often result in the unintended catch—and subsequent dumping —of millions of tons of fsh, mammals, sea turtles, birds, and other creatures, resulting in destructive impacts from industrial and artisanal fshing on marine species. Innovators and scientists have developed a variety of technologies and innovations that lower the amount of by-catch from fshing and reduce the damage caused by fshing gear, yet few have been implemented at scale or adopted by policy makers or the private sector.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Create scalable and sustainable novel The growing demand for seafood, a overboard and thus harms the livelihoods technologies that reduce the impact of result of emerging middle classes and of other fshers in a region. Frequently, fshing gear while enhancing the yield of population growth, is putting tremendous the bycatch includes species that play desired species. pressure on fsh stocks around the a critical role in the ecosystem, for world. An estimated 80% of the world’s instance top-predators and primary food- This challenge focuses on innovations for fsheries are considered either fully stock fsh that have little to no market two diferent communities, and ways to exploited or overexploited (FAO). The value but underpin the health of more bring the innovations to scale: global fshing industry captured $91.2 valuable fsh populations. Destructive 1. Reducing the impact of fshing gear billion in frst-sale seafood value in 2006, fshing practices can include the uses and destructive fshing practices comprised of 92 million tons from both of poisons such as cyanide (which also inland and marine waters. among artisanal communities without capture fsh for the aquarium trade), a diminishment in yield. Destructive fshing practices constitute blast fshing which utilizes explosives, 2. Reducing the impact of fshing gear a malicious side efect of the increased muroami (which uses pounding devices and destructive fshing practices global demand for seafood and the to crush coral and encircling nets), and decline in global fsheries. Such practices among industrial fshermen. ghost fshing (the use of large scale can include the use of gear or methods pelagic driftnets). These practices 3. Improving the certifcation, adoption, that are indiscriminate as to their target may irreversibly destroy habitats, or and scaling of low impact fshing gear species, physically damage the habitat, indiscriminately kill non-target species. and fshing practices. or are unsustainable in their application. Inadequate fshing practices include Both artisanal and industrial fshers may standard fshing practices, whose use destructive fshing practices. misapplication may be damaging to an Indiscriminate fshing results in bycatch, ecosystem. For instance, bottom trawling removing fsh and other marine life can severely damage the seafoor and from the sea without the intent to do benthic habitats. Finally, solutions exist, so. In some cases, the bycatch is itself a but they need incentives for adoption, valuable product (e.g., halibut) that is cast and pathways to scale.
22 Challenge 6
EMERGING SOLUTIONS Reducing Indiscriminate Fishing: determining the bycatch content of a bycatch of non-target species based on Bycatch reduction technologies can potential catch. The project, Air-Powered their behavioral traits has become an take a variety of forms based on the Sampling for Purse Seine Fisheries used expanding focus in bycatch reduction. type of fshery, intended catch, and the a small air cannon and net to catch and Addressing Destructive Fishing. available machinery and tools onboard view the contents of a purse seine catch Techniques used to intercept illegal fshing vessels. Primarily, bycatch when it is far enough away from its ship deforestation, gun shot detection in reduction technologies can be classifed such that releasing the net will not harm cities, or poaching may also work to as (a) mechanical and physical tools or the fsh inside. The ultimate outcome is reduce destructive fshing. Triangulated modifcations to equipment, (b) more reduced mortality of non-target species. underwater hydrophones have been accurate testing and controls for catch Growing opportunities in sensing and used to identify potential blast fshing at content, or (c) behavior-based solutions detection capabilities could also be areas great distances (up to 30 km) with great to attract only desired species (FAO). of exploration to help provide fshers accuracy (within 30 m), even in noisy with better tools to manage and control Gear Modifcations: A past Smart Gear underwater environments. WWF Hong what they ultimately catch and bring winner, the Yamazaki Double-Weight Kong has installed such systems in Hong onboard. Branchline sinks long-line hooks Kong. Tank Watch — The Good Fish/Bad beyond the range of seabirds and has Behavior-Based Solutions: Scientists Fish Tool for Saltwater Aquariums — is a dramatically reduced seabird bycatch have begun to capitalize on increasing mobile app providing global consumers (89% reduction) while maintaining knowledge of fsh and megafauna the ability to easily identify popular little-to-no impact on fsh catch rates. behavior to develop tools that limit aquarium species and distinguish A runner-up in the 2014 competition, unwanted bycatch for fshers. Super Poly those potentially bred in captivity from FRESWIND, designed an escape device Shark, a Smart Gear 2014 runner-up, those that were wild-caught using system for fatfsh from industrial fshing created a simple device for long-line cyanide or other harmful means. NOAA trawlers so that only target species of fsheries that contained a slow-release, Fisheries scientists and partners like round fsh are caught. Both are examples biodegradable, chemical shark repellant Alaska Seafood Cooperative and Bering of simple mechanical adjustments to that reduced shark by-catch by 71%. Sea fatfsh fshing industry members fshing equipment that can limit the Similar to the Super Poly Shark, a project collaborated to modify bottom-trawling capture of undesired fauna from turtles called Turtle Lights for Gillnets used gear so it reduces the damage to to seabirds and small or unwanted fsh simple LED lights on commonly used important bottom habitat. These changes species. gill-nets in Baja California to reduce to the gear reduced seafoor contact Testing and Controls: The 2014 winner sea turtle bycatch and entanglement by a whopping 90% and successfully of Smart Gear provides an example of by 60% with no efect on fshery maintained fatfsh catch rates, minimized the types of tools and technologies that yields. Identifying novel methods negative efects on bottom habitats, and can be used to aid specifc fsheries in and technologies that can limit the reduced crab mortality rates.
An estimated 80% of the world’s fisheries are considered either fully exploited or overexploited.
23 Challenge 7
Challenge 7 Arresting the Alien Invasion: Combating Invasive Species
THE PROBLEM Invasive species can spread quickly once introduced into a new ecosystem. Surveillance and detection remain key barriers to preventing their spread into new regions and water systems. Once established in a new ecosystem, invasive species often disrupt fnely balanced ecosystems because they are free from the competition or predation that exists in co-evolved systems. For example, species like the lionfsh have begun to disrupt food chains in many areas, preying on valuable species and critical members of the ecosystem while multiplying due to the lack of natural predators.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT This challenge seeks new globally Globalization and increased invasive species may range from new scalable systems, technologies, or international trade have progressively apex predators, like lionfsh, to invasive fnancial innovations that aid the removed the common and natural plants, to novel pathogens. Examples monitoring, prevention, and systematic barriers to alien species introduction include the Chinese mitten crab, removal of invasive species in ocean into ocean ecosystems, resulting European green crab, Cladoceran water ecosystems. in the loss of biodiversity and the fea, zebra mussels, lionfsh, and the homogenization of habitats. These This challenge focuses on: North American comb jelly. sudden introductions brought about by 1. Designing rapid, low-cost, the rapidity of global trade as well as Invasive species may be introduced immediate surveillance tools that the growing market for exotic aquarium though novel connections between can detect individual organisms in species can lead to massive changes previously closed natural barriers (e.g., novel habitats and within carriers in the ecology of coastal and ocean the Panama Canal, the Suez Canal) or for such invasive species. ecosystems. Alien invasive species may through movement across traditionally compete with local species for limited natural barriers. Shipping carries 90% 2. Creating novel technologies to supplies of food and habitat. They may of internationally traded goods, and prevent the introduction of invasive serve as novel predators or introduce it is a signifcant conduit for invasive species at all scales (including foreign diseases, driving native species species. Many invasive species are microorganisms). locally extinct. The introduction of an spread through the ballast water of 3. Developing innovations that could alien invasive species to a coastal or massive cargo ships along trade routes remove 95% of an invasive species ocean ecosystem can completely disrupt and then through natural waterways. in a novel habitat within fve years, food chains, transform habitats, and As a result, many harbors around the bringing the ecosystem back to pre- drive down the abundance and health world now share remarkably similar— invasion baselines. of keystone ecosystem species. Such and low biodiversity—ecosystems.
24 Challenge 7
The zebra mussel, now one of the 15—20 years. In the process, it has most common freshwater shellfsh severely depleted juveniles of grouper globally, was accidentally introduced to and snapper and has taken up a dynamic U.S. waterways where it quickly out- position at the top of the food chain competed endemic species. with few, if any, natural predators for healthy lionfsh across the entire eastern International trade in live marine International trade in live seaboard. organisms has also led to the expansion marine organisms has also of invasive species. The spread of Aquariums can also inadvertently harbor led to the expansion of personal salt-water aquariums stocked microorganisms—like algae—that with exotic species has increased can have a dramatic impact on local invasive species. demand for charismatic species ecosystems. “Killer algae” (Caulerpa around the world, like the lionfsh, taxifolia), a species native to the and inadvertently, contributed to Indian and Pacifc oceans was released their release into novel ecosystems from aquariums in Europe and has where they no longer have predators become a massively destructive force to keep their populations in check. throughout the Mediterranean, altering After the highly voracious and fecund the structure of ecosystems throughout lionfsh was introduced of the coast of the sea. In California, where killer algae Florida, it quickly expanded its range also became a problem, a large-scale and abundance to the entire eastern campaign of poisoning the invasive United States, the Gulf of Mexico, and species was successful in eradicating it the Caribbean Sea within the span of from most habitats.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
To date, the majority of solutions to Surveillance: Advances in the efcacy Eradication: Eradication once a species marine invasive species have focused and costs of molecular biology has invaded is much harder than on either preventing their invasion by have enabled better detection and preventing the invasion. Biocontrol is the treating the source, or on eliminating the surveillance of invasions without having regulation of a pest species through the species once they have invaded. to isolate the targeted organism. This introduction of a natural predator. It has approach, termed Environmental been proposed as a tool for controlling Prevention: As ballast water is a major DNA (eDNA), analyzes nuclear or invasive species, however, it has had source of invasive species, innovations mitochondrial DNA that is released unintended consequences in terrestrial have focused on treating it. These include from an organism into the environment. systems. Biocontrol proposals for marine using damaging properties of light (UV Sources of eDNA include secreted feces, systems include viral or microbial radiation), fltration systems, oxidation, mucous, and gametes; shed skin and biocontrol of algal blooms, predatory and chlorination. Unfortunately, no hair; and carcasses. eDNA has allowed control of ctenophores (comb jellies), ballast water treatment method can for breakthroughs in monitoring invasive parasitic regulation of the European completely eliminate the risk of species because it can detect species Green crab, and introduction of sea introducing exotic species. Alternative abundance at low densities, including slugs and plant hoppers to control green solutions include changing fundamental upon an initial invasion by larvae or algae and salt marsh cord grass. The hull designs to allow for continuous seeds. Early detection decreases both challenge of biocontrol is to guarantee fow of water through the hull as ballast, the costs of control and the impact on host specifcity—that the species or eliminating the use of ballast water ecosystems. being introduced will not prey on other altogether.
25 endemic species instead of the one it is other habitats. intended to control. Synthetic biology ofers another set of Biocontrol isn’t restricted to living potential solutions: the ability to edit animals anymore. The Queensland genomes and encode lethal genetic University of Technology developed instructions that could be turned on or an autonomous star-fsh killing robot, of (kill-switch genes) as has been done There may be further which seeks out crown-of-thorns starfsh with the mosquito, Aedes aegypti, which opportunity in greater through a computerized imaging system, is responsible for Dengue Fever and Chikungunya. financial incentives and then gives them a lethal injection. Although the crown of thorn starfsh Changing Market Demand: Rather for the eradication of is not an invasive species in Australia, than directly addressing the number certain species. the decline of its predators coupled of species, we may seek to increase with increased organic material fowing the demand for those species. We can into the ocean from terrestrial sources increase fnancial incentives for the has led to its massive overpopulation eradication of certain species by creating and the subsequent destruction of its markets, providing incentives and ecosystem. This process is not dissimilar bounties, and encouraging recreational to the way invasive species often harm harvest. For example, throughout the native ecosystems, providing a glimpse Caribbean a concerted efort was made into a possible technological solution for to create a high-end market for lionfsh.
26 Challenge 8
Challenge 8 Combating the Efects of Ocean Acidifcation
THE PROBLEM The oceans absorb approximately a quarter of the carbon dioxide emitted into the
atmosphere by human activities. When dissolved in water, carbon dioxide (CO2) forms carbonic acid. As a result, in the last 150 years—since the beginning of the industrial revolution—the oceans have become 30% more acidic. This increasing acidity disrupts the carbonate system upon which almost all marine organisms are dependent, from the phytoplankton at the bottom of the food chain, which produce the majority of the planet’s oxygen, to the shellfsh, coral, and even fnfsh that form marine food webs. While our ability to measure changes in ocean acidifcation has advanced rapidly, innovations to adapt and resolve the impacts remain woefully inadequate or non-existent.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Develop technologies and innovations The ocean’s chemistry facilitates carbonate) decreases, organisms require that strengthen resilience and help conditions for species-rich biodiversity more energy for shell formation and habitats adapt to the efects of ocean and sets the foundation for many of maintenance. In some cases, such as is acidifcation, and mitigate its efects. the cycles and systems that sustain all seen with Northeast Pacifc pteropods, These may include techniques as life. However, human-caused infux of even adult shells can dissolve in the wide-ranging as harnessing synthetic carbon pollution into our atmosphere, more acidic water. biology or microbiology, manipulating which is deposited into our oceans, is Ocean acidity is one of the frst changes drastically altering the chemical makeup ecosystem dynamics, utilizing to be measurable as atmospheric CO2 selective breeding, or geo-engineering of the oceans, threatening the physical, concentrations rise. Acidity is expected chemical, and biological processes that ecosystems to change local pH. to increase a further 40—50% if CO2 are necessary for life. concentrations reach the projected The ocean surface absorbs around 27% end-of-century concentration according of the excess carbon dioxide from human to current emission rates. The oceans activity, leading to a reduction in pH and have already become about 30% more shift in the carbonate chemistry of the acidic since the start of the Industrial seas. This particularly afects organisms Revolution, in tandem with a 39% with shells, including mollusks, corals, decline in marine species populations in and many phytoplankton that form the the past 40 years. base of the food chain. Calcifcation, the This fundamental and ongoing alteration process by which organisms create their of our ocean’s chemistry threatens the shells (such as the building blocks of survival of ecosystems in a way not seen
coral), is greatly afected by acidifcation; in tens of millions of years. Such change as the saturation state of the necessary will accelerate the rate of erosion for compounds for shell formation (calcium many shell-building creatures and will
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cause signifcant biodiversity loss as pH CO2, acidifcation will continue to levels become increasingly more acidic. cause widespread changes in the fundamental processes that create Without reducing In a preview of the types of impacts the overall structure and function of to come, an acidifcation event that atmospheric C02, marine ecosystems. However, the reality acidification will continue occurred in the Pacifc Northwest of is that ocean acidifcation is an active the United States led to widespread process, and both natural systems and to cause widespread mortality in young oyster larvae. With our communities will have to grapple changes... over 80% mortality in most oyster with its impacts. Innovations to help us hatcheries, an entire industry was and our ecosystems cope with ocean placed at risk as a result of more acidic acidifcation will be a necessary step to waters. Without reducing atmospheric conserve marine biodiversity.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS
Mapping & Monitoring: The recently- it is limited to the surface and open- the possibility of selective breeding, awarded Wendy Schmidt Ocean Health ocean environments. transplants, or genetic engineering to XPRIZE has resulted in dozens of new and produce more robust coral species in In addition to a diversity of useful improved pH sensing devices providing areas of high concern. sensors, some notable innovations in how unprecedented accuracy in environments monitoring can be accomplished were The Paul G. Allen Ocean Challenge ranging from coastal waters to the deep revealed during the Ocean Health XPRIZE. identifed several fnalist projects that are sea. The prize was awarded to ultra-high One notable example is SmartpHin, a now being funded to expand adaptation performance sensors as well as sub- surfboard-fn that includes pH, salinity, techniques. Leading innovations include $1,000 sensors that can be deployed with and/or temperature sensors. SmartpHin modifying ecosystem dynamics through minimal efort. This prize has given the wirelessly downloads data after a surf the use of seaweed that can mitigate conservation community the opportunity session and integrates it into cloud-based local pH, human-assisted evolution by to rapidly scale up the measurement analytics and data repositories. This type changing the species abundance and of ocean pH. Coupled with advances in of citizen science application is critical for makeup in a habitat to produce greater measuring the concentration of carbon cheaply scaling up the global monitoring ecosystem level resilience to acidifcation, dioxide, total alkalinity, and dissolved of the ocean. and genetically engineering corals inorganic carbon, scientists’ ability to to extend their functional range and measure changes to the carbonate Assimilating this increasing data stream resilience to the more acidic and warmer system are advancing rapidly. on ocean acidifcation into both science conditions predicted for the oceans of the and management remains an area Scientists with the European Space future. of critical need. Moving from data to Agency and several other institutions acidifcation forecasting systems, which Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have recently demonstrated the ability would allow targeted interventions in (LLNL) has recently demonstrated a to map surface ocean acidity remotely chemical process for capturing CO2 from local habitats, remains a rich opportunity by using satellite-based thermal and the air, which results in the production for innovation. microwave sensors. This approach of hydrogen and an alkaline solution had previously been limited to in-situ Adaptation & Geo-engineering: Corals, (carbonate) [Rau et al, 2013]. Although sensors, which are difcult to place and like many shelled organisms, make their the process requires energy input, if maintain in remote ocean locations. skeletons out of calcium carbonate, it were run with renewable electricity The newly demonstrated technique making them vulnerable to changes (possibly from of-peak periods), it could holds the promise of improved global in ocean acidity. Recently, scientists potentially provide a carbon-negative measurements of ocean acidifcation, have begun to identify species and source of hydrogen, and an alkaline and may lead to the development of populations of coral that are adapted solution that could be added to the ocean additional space-based sensors, though to large fuctuations in pH, opening as a de-acidifcation measure [LLNL].
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Challenge 9 Ending Marine Wildlife Trafcking
THE PROBLEM Illicit wildlife trafcking is valued at billions of dollars a year. An important element of such trade has been the luxury market for products from the sea. This includes demand for pets, health products, and food. In East Asia, population growth and the burgeoning middle classes have led to rising demand for exotic and luxury products, as well as for greater production of protein. The supply chain for seafood products involves a complex web of middlemen that facilitate the entry of illegally caught and sourced seafood into the mainstream market. Challenges for illegal fshing include monitoring fshing activity at the source, creating more efcient tracking and enforcement mechanisms to prevent illegal fshing, increasing barriers to entry for illegal fsh products into global markets, and infuencing consumer demand through marketing and behavior change.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT Dramatically reduce demand for 2. Enforcement Subchallenge. This Wildlife trafcking is not only decimating endangered ocean products through subchallenge looks at technologies the wildlife populations of critical demand reduction, data & enforcement, and innovations that can improve species with spillover efects that disrupt and substitute products. governance and enforcement of entire ecological communities, it is illegal fshing. This includes improving driving some species to extinction. The This challenge focuses on understanding data for measurement of the extent business of trafcking has undermined the extent of illegal trade and of the trade, surveillance of fows of the rule of law and promoted corruption, enforcement, addressing demand for wildlife products from the seas, and compromised national security of illegal seafood products: enforcement of regulations. nations, and hindered economic 1. Consumer Demand Reduction development. The trade of trafcked 3. Replacement Products. Finally, this Subchallenge. This subchallenge wildlife has become extremely lucrative, challenge will focus on creating focuses on harnessing marketing with certain wildlife products even substitute products for existing illegal and behavior change for oceans exceeding the value of gold, platinum, or seafood products. conservation through fnancial diamonds in end markets. incentives, social pressure, marketing, competition and gamifcation, and The emergence of the middle class in identity. Under this subchallenge, Asia and other places in the developing we are seeking solutions to reduce world has placed new demands on demand by changing cultural fsheries. First, rising wages have and societal norms around the increased pressure for cheaper and perceived social status of luxury higher quantities of seafood. At the wildlife products from the sea. same time, growing wealth and a desire Potential innovations could borrow to demonstrate status is also driving from behavior change approaches demand for luxury seafood delicacies implemented in global health, as such as shark fn, sea cucumber, sea well as from marketing of consumer urchins, and fsh swim bladders, products. particularly in South East and East
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Asia. These twin pressures increase successful campaigns focused on the incentive for illegal as well as over consumers. However, demand for other fshing. The developed world also products, such as sea cucumber, marine contributes to marine wildlife trafcking turtles, sea urchins, manta gills, and swim and illegal fshing through the pet, curio, bladders of the Totoaba macdonaldi (a and food trade. species of fsh endemic to the Gulf of Globally, the expected fnancial loss California) is increasing. There is also due to unreported and illegal fshing a signifcant international trade in live ranges from $10 billion to 423.5 billion marine animals. It is estimated that worldwide. Developing countries with there are up to 30 million fsh and 1.5 poor governance records are more million coral colonies traded in any one vulnerable to illegal activities, conducted year. Most of the demand comes from by both their own fshers and vessels the United States, EU, and Japan, which from distant nations. The solutions most account for over 80% of the trade. often proposed to eliminate illegal Other species are also kept as holiday fshing increase governance and the curios, such as sea horses, which are rule of law through better cooperation also collected for the medicinal trade. and data sharing between regional Sixty-four million sea horses are taken fshery management authorities, from the wild every year, although some increased capacity for surveillance and organizations claim the number is as high enforcement, and reducing the economic as 150 million killed annually. Sea horse incentives and demand to engage in fsheries have reported a decline of 50% illegal fshing. in the last fve years. Dried sea horses are Within the luxury seafood market, sold in shops as curios within England, demand for one item—shark fns—is the United States, and Australia, but most declining in China due to a series of originate in Asia.
EMERGING SOLUTIONS Demand Reduction: Conservation usage and health. Residents in Brighton, MyFitnessPal, harness peer pressure to marketing, behavior, and psychology UK, living on Tidy Street, agreed to track encourage maintenance of daily exercise, are new felds within conservation. their daily energy usage publically on a or maintaining a diet. They have become more prominent website, and paint the street’s average Marketing is one of the most data driven (along with other social sciences) in energy use against the Brighton average industries in the developed world. By the evolution of conservation as a in a graph on the road outside their studying patterns of production and multidisciplinary science, following the homes. Open-source software specially consumption and the correlations pathway of global health. However, there designed for the project allows each between consumption patterns, are few examples of behavior change household to compare their energy marketers have been able to micro- or marketing innovations within marine use not only with the Brighton average, target products to individual consumers. conservation. Emerging techniques but also with the national average or In much the same way, data can be from social marketing include using even that of other countries. Residents’ harnessed to identify cultural norms and incentives and rewards as well as self- energy use has dropped by 15%, with demographics that will be responsive to identity and social pressures to change some people cutting usage by as much specifc messages about conservation. behavior. Some approaches tap into the as 30% in their households. Similarly, As an example, Wild Aid had signifcant competitive nature of humans by creating college campuses have demonstrated success targeting young Chinese women competitions or gamifcation to change energy and water use reductions in who were planning to be married behavior. Some of the best examples of dorms through competitions like “Do it in about the nature of serving shark fn these principles are with regard to energy the Dark.” Health and ftness apps, like soup at their weddings. By combining
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demographic understanding about the the Conservation Reserve Program. Not all of the eforts need to be highly audience’s motivations and the nature of Other investments can be made with technical or expensive. Moreover, the consumption of shark fn soup as a the goal of capital protection through they can harness the power of the traditional Chinese wedding meal, Wild ofsets or mitigation, such as wetlands crowd through citizen science. The Aid was able to reduce consumption and stream mitigation, bio banking, and Turtle Island Restoration Network has signifcantly. Conventional methods of conservation banking. Finally, eco-labels recently partnered with DigitalGlobe’s surveying people to gather information and certifcations are intended as signals crowdsourcing platform Tomnod.com to on opinions and consumption patterns to consumers that purchases contribute create a crowd-sourced digital patrol of can be expensive and time-consuming. to positive environmental outcomes. the Cocos Island Marine Protected Area. However, social media and other large There are multiple marine eco-labels, The Environmental Justice Foundation data sets gathered by online platforms including the Marine Stewardship used low cost cell phones and GPS- are potential data sources that the Council, FishWise, and Salmon Safe, enabled cameras to help artisanal conservation community can mine for among others. West African fshermen to protect local information on consumption, attitudes, fsheries against piracy. Surveillance and Enforcement: or opinions to provide insight into Improving capabilities of countries to Replacement Products: Replacements cultural norms and demographics. monitor and enforce their waters can are substitutes for illicit products or Energy producers are using Twitter and also help reduce wildlife trafcking products whose removal or creation social analytics to track public opinion and illegal fshing. As noted previously, come at considerable cost to the about their activities, and researchers SoarOcean and Conservation Drones are ecosystem. One of the best-known have explored mining Twitter to track harnessing low-cost drone technology examples is synthetic rhino horn, which opinions on climate change. Researchers to improve conservation monitoring has sought to provide an alternative to have used geotagged Flickr images and enforcement for marine systems. real rhino horn. One such company is to quantify nature-based tourism and Skytruth, working with Google’s Geo Rhinoceros Horn LLC, which in December recreation. for Good and Oceana, is harnessing 2012 planned to fund the marketing Financial incentives can also satellite imagery, ship-based Automated of a new, ethically sourced keratin drive conservation behavior. Pay- Information Systems (AIS), and Synthetic protein product via the crowd-funding for-performance in the feld of Aperture Radar, to detect illegal, site, IndieGoGo.com. Another company conservation is a method where unregulated, and unreported fshing working in this area is Pembient, which people or organizations are rewarded activities. Similarly, Pew has been describes itself as “The De Beers of for meeting specifc environmental working with Satellite Applications Synthetic Wildlife Products”. Pembient conditions. The best-known example is Catapult through Project Eyes on was quoted extensively in the media that of RecycleBank, which harnessed the Sea to analyze multiple sources in January 2015, after it was chosen technology that measured the amount of live satellite tracking data, link to as one of 11 companies to beneft of recycling for a specifc residence, information about a ship’s ownership from an “accelerator class” held by and then credits participants with history and country of registration, and IndieBio, after which each company will reward points that can be used at local provide a dossier of up-to-the-minute receive $50,000 in funding and access and national stores. The money came data on vessels that can alert ofcials to the accelerator’s lab for an entire from avoidance of tip fees at landflls to suspicious behavior. Importantly year. Another company focused on a and through the sale of the recycled for certifying legal behavior, WWF and replacement product is Stop Poaching materials. The result was a dramatic navama created a vessel tracking tool and Through Synthetic Rhino Horn. Artifcial uptake in recycling in cities that data sharing platform (TransparentSea. substitutes for shark fn also exist, implemented the program. Similarly, org) to ofer good actors the ability to commonly known as “mock shark’s fn”, direct payments for conservation make their fshing activities transparent. which uses gelatin, soy, pig’s skin, and programs have had some success. With their registration, fsheries agree sometimes even cellophane noodles. The For example, the U.S. government to share satellite-based AIS data, vessel challenge of the replacement product pays farmers to set aside farmland to monitoring systems (VMS) data or other approach is in the possibility of it not instead provide ecosystem benefts location-based data for their vessels with decreasing demand for the original, illicit like wildlife habitat, enhanced water independent experts from WWF, navama, wildlife product, but instead increasing quality, or reduced soil erosion through other NGOs, governments, and science. consumer’s desires for the “real thing.”
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Challenge 10 Reviving Dead Zones: Combating Ocean Deoxygenation and Nutrient Runof
THE PROBLEM Nutrient pollution in coastal areas, which primarily results from agricultural fertilizer runof and sewage, has led to a rapid increase in hypoxic zones in the ocean. In the last half a century, the number of dead zones in the world’s oceans has increased over ten- fold. The paucity of oxygen in these areas results in aerobic marine life dying or moving away. Habitats once rich in life become dead zones, the equivalent of deserts in the ocean. This problem is accentuated by warming and worsened by acidifcation. The triple threat of deoxygenation, warming, and acidifcation has been associated with past major extinctions.
THE CHALLENGE PROBLEM STATEMENT End deoxygenation by disrupting and Nutrient runof and waste from documented dead zones, but by 2007 redesigning systems of agriculture and agriculture and sewage has contributed scientists had identifed 169. Currently, wastewater management on land: to widespread instances of dead zones— scientists estimate there may be over regions of widespread hypoxia (areas 1,000 dead zones around the world, 1. Redesign the farm-to-sea without oxygen). This hypoxia either kills including many that are undocumented. relationship to remove marine life, reduces their reproductive Concentrated in areas with high human anthropogenic nutrient runof; potential, or forces species to move to activity, these dead zones are a result 2. Design scalable innovations for new habitats. Dead zones commonly of disrupting natural biogeochemical storm water and wastewater occur near inhabited coastlines, where cycles. treatment and removal of excess marine biodiversity is often highest, and The mechanism by which these dead nutrients such as phosphates and where communities and ecosystems zones occur—rapid eutrophication— nitrogen. depend upon healthy habitats. The also ofers opportunities for intervention. extent of the losses from such dead 3. Develop new ways to restore dead The excessive supply of nutrients, mainly zones can be economically and zones. phosphates and nitrogen, spark the biologically signifcant. In the Black Sea growth of phytoplankton and lead to in the 1970s and 1980s, an estimated algal blooms. The water becomes more 60 million tons of bottom-living aquatic opaque as phytoplankton populations life perished from hypoxia, resulting boom, and the shade they cast deprives in dramatic impacts on fsheries and the plants living below them of sunlight. biodiversity. Sea grasses in shallow bays also become During the 20th century, the rapid covered with small epiphytic algae and industrialization of agriculture, coupled can ultimately be smothered and die.
with human population growth and Algae can also envelop and kill of coral
urbanization, has led to a massive reefs. The critical shift happens when the increase in number and size of dead massive blooms of phytoplankton and zones globally. In 1960, there were 10 other organisms die. As organic matter
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accumulates, bacteria digest the organic less than half of the nitrogen in those matter and consume the oxygen present crops actually ends up in the foods that in the water during the decomposition humans consume. Much of the remainder process, creating hypoxic conditions. ends up fertilizing phytoplankton and This hypoxia is caused primarily by the algae in the ocean. Untreated sewage causes intensive use of agricultural fertilizers, Additional drivers of greater nutrient particularly in the developed world. emissions into watersheds include fossil- the majority of dead zones Globally, farmers spend $60 billion fuel use (which releases nitrogen into annually for 150 million tons of fertilizer in Africa, Asia, and the atmosphere), efuent from the mass to nourish their felds. Much of this may breeding of food animals (especially pigs South America. be wasted. Farmers often apply excess and chickens), and sewage systems that fertilizers or have poor systems to keep fertilizers in the soil. Rain and irrigation empty directly into the sea. Untreated then washes excess fertilizer into inland sewage causes the majority of dead waterways, and ultimately to the ocean. zones in Africa, Asia, and South America. Currently, less than half of the fxed The presence of large-scale aquaculture nitrogen generated by farming practices in Southeast Asia may also contribute actually ends up in harvested crops, and to hypoxia
EMERGING SOLUTIONS Transforming Inputs: With burgeoning breeding techniques can also increase used in local agriculture. A Washington, global populations, understanding how nitrogen efcacy in soils. The National D.C.-based startup, Kegotank Bio, has we can increase plant productivity Academy of Engineering has called begun to plant and harvest macro-algae while decreasing its environmental for research and discovery of novel at the source of excessive nutrient footprint will usher in the second technological methods for applying outfows in freshwater and saltwater green revolution. The ability to harness fertilizer more efciently to ensure that a systems and then converts the harvested nitrogen-fxing microbes for widespread much higher percentage of the fertilizer material into marketable products, agricultural practices could allow for ends up in the plants as organic nitrogen. from natural fertilizer to thickeners more efcient use of nitrogen as a Other critical innovations are needed in for a variety of mainstream products. fertilizer, or even lead to its elimination. soil management and design to reduce Other approaches, such as Janiki One sterling example is the current runof, leaching, and erosion, which carry Bioenergy Omniprocessor, turn sewage efort to transfer Gluconacetobacter much of the nitrogen fertilizer away from into potable water, electricity, and diazotrophicus, a bacterium found in the plants and into groundwater and fertilizer, and turn sewage treatment for sugar cane that fxes nitrogen from the surface water. developing countries into a source of revenue. air into the cells of plant roots such as Addressing Pollutants: Grassroots maize, rice, wheat, oilseed rape, and entrepreneurs are beginning to use New Open Innovation Challenges for tomatoes. This type of approach could the natural by-products of excessive Reducing Pollutants: As nutrient fows obviate the need for nitrogen fertilizer in nutrient outfows, namely macro-algae have caused a growing dead zone in the much of the world’s agricultural land. A and seaweed, as harvestable resources. Gulf of Mexico and afected the wetlands similar approach involves synthetically Approaches that unify land-based and in and around the Mississippi River Delta, engineering the genome of certain crops, marine farming practices in a closed- a set of challenges and prizes have been such as rice, to take up nitrogen directly. loop system have been designed launched to advance detection and Precision agriculture, the use of nitrogen- to capture nutrient runof for use in reduction eforts. The Tulane Nitrogen fxing cover crops, and traditional growing marine macro-algae that can be Reduction Grand Challenge, launched in
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2014, has begun identifying promising Financial Mechanisms: Nutrient trading solutions to reduce nutrient pollution has become a popular market-based and manage dead zones. The ACT-EPA tool to attribute monetary values to Nutrient Sensor Challenge, launched in point source pollution and non-point 2014, is seeking low-cost, source runof from wastewater and real-time sensors that can measure agricultural activity, enabling a market dissolved nitrogen and phosphorous to trade and manage those nutrient concentrations. The Everglades fows. States including Maryland, Foundation recently announced a $10 Pennsylvania, and Virginia have million prize for innovations that can launched online nutrient trading remove excessive phosphorus from platforms to calculate values of sources waterways and recycle it into fueling and facilitate more efcient and the world’s food supply. While several cost-efective processes for managing incentives in the form of prizes and nutrient pollution that ultimately challenges have arisen in the areas of ends up in coastal waters like the detection and removal of nutrients, the Chesapeake Bay. Expansion of these timelines of the challenges are such programs, as well as refnement of their that the potential recipients remain models, can better harness emerging many years away from scaling their tools and technologies in managing work into viable solutions. nutrient fows at their source.
Approaches that unify land-based and marine farming practices in a closed-loop system have been designed to capture nutrient runoff for use in growing marine macro-algae that can be used in local agriculture.
34 In the previous section, we reviewed Much of the opportunity for innovation Designing the ten potential grand challenges lies in cross-pollinating disciplines— for ocean conservation. For each applying innovative thinking from Next Generation challenge, we summarized the other disciplines and attracting problem, sought to understand new solvers and new solutions. We the core constraints for which a can achieve this by opening up the of Technologies breakthrough would be particularly feld of conservation to others, and transformative, and reviewed bringing in experts who work in the examples of promising emerging felds of design, technology, internet solutions. We will determine which and communications technology, of these ten challenges holds the engineering, global health, data greatest potential to launch as our science, genomics, microbiology, frst grand challenge for oceans fnance, behavioral science, marketing, conservation. agriculture, and supply chains. We will focus on engaging those who have the The solutions to these grand potential to contribute, but have not challenges, however, will not be found yet had the opportunity. in traditional conservation science. We need to open conservation to new As science & technology emerges, so may conservation’s efcacy and disciplines, novel ways of solving impact. problems, new ways of leveraging exponential technological advances, The following is a brief survey of and new solvers. Although traditional emerging technologies and approaches experts will play an important role in that hold promise as breakthroughs defning the problem, they do not hold for ocean conservation, whether or not all the solutions. they are currently in use.
35 Designing the Next Generation of Technologies
DATA AND ANALYTICS and analytics. They have given us predictive analytics. Target famously tremendous new abilities to understand used “predictive analytics” to predict Many ocean challenges stem from the the abundance, distribution, and when women were entering their second fundamental inability to easily see the change of species, communities, and trimester of pregnancy, based on their size of the challenges—what we call ecosystems; their interconnections; and shopping habits, in order to better ocean blindness. Our lack of data on their underlying proximate and ultimate market to them. Such big data analytics oceans and our inability to visualize threats. could help improve our scientifc its changes and threats, or to quantify understanding of the interactions our impact on it, hamstrings our ability We now have the capacity to monitor between organisms and their habitat to address these grand challenges of entire ecosystems and the changes they across large spatial and temporal oceans conservation. On the whole, we are undergoing in nearly real time. New scales, and well as predict where know frighteningly little about ocean nanosatellite constellations, like Planet ocean ecosystems are most at risk from ecology and the associated human Labs, have greatly improved the cadence human activity. However, conservation impacts. This lack of knowledge has and scale of our ability to image the science will also increasingly confront profoundly inhibited ocean conservation entire planet at higher resolution, and challenges with big data regarding eforts. their use of consumer technology and data quantity, quality, integration, and low cost allow for continual iteration information extraction, as well as the Moreover, there are an abundance and improvement of their technology. cost, robustness, and ease of use of of specifc challenges that require These may prove particularly useful technological solutions. better data and predictive analytics. in monitoring marine protected areas, Ocean systems are in state of constant tracking changes in surface water By understanding and quantifying the dynamism and fux, with greater, less chemistry, and monitoring fshing activity problems more efectively, we can better predictable changes underway due to on the high seas. Initiatives such as Esri’s direct resources to the areas that need global climatic disruptions. Too often, ocean mapping and Google Ocean and it the most. Current methodologies regulations such as designating marine ofer a giant leap into ocean awareness in data analysis combined with vast protected areas (MPAs) are painstakingly and exploration, and may be used in the increases in computing power have established only to see migration future to create a Global Forest Watch enabled capabilities in data fusion and patterns shift unexpectedly, limiting for our oceans. Companies like PlanetOS collaboration that could fll many of their efectiveness. Pirates on the high (formerly Marinexplore) ofer analytic these information gaps. By connecting seas transport contraband like illegally tools and big data architecture to make previously disconnected data sources caught fsh and modern-day slaves sense of such vast troves of data for and combining them with mapping and without fear of being caught and brought search, analysis, and discovery for real sensing technologies, we can attain an to justice. Real-time location data for world sensor networks in oceans, in the understanding of our oceans at a scale whales is not integrated into routes for atmosphere, on land and in space. that was previously out of our reach. cargo ships, resulting in the collision and Advances in big data allow for predictive maiming of migrating whales. analytics that can help us understand CONNECTED ECOSYSTEMS Many of the technologies to address threats before or while they occur. these problems are currently available The expansion of mobile platforms The democratization of information or just over the horizon. A wide array (phones, tablets, laptops) has created technology, coupled with the global of applicable sensors and analytics new methods of tracking demand by spread of mobile platforms, particularly are currently being used in a variety analyzing changes in specifc behaviors. smartphones, allows for revolutionary of industries. The democratization of The UN Global Pulse has used mobile new approaches in conservation that science, technology, and innovation, data and purchases of airtime credits were impossible a decade ago. There documented through advances to better understand food security are now 7 billion mobile subscriptions in processors, memory & storage, and seasonal migration patterns. around the world, which serve as connectivity, and mobile technology, Conservation can also harness new gateways to knowledge, sensors for the have rapidly driven down the prices tools from the private sector, including environment, and platforms for research, and increased the utility of sensors social media hypertargeting and education, and capacity building.
36 Designing the Next Generation of Technologies
In Africa, it took 20 years for the frst There are a number of fundamental periodic assessments of limited parts of 100 million subscribers, but less than technological benefts that come an ecosystem. By watching the declines 3 years to attract the next 200 million. from the use of sensors and low- in animal populations or plant health, we By 2015, there will be nearly 1 billion power computing/communication deduce that something is damaging that mobile phones in Africa, while the hardware. Persistent monitoring of an population. number of landlines stays fxed at 13 area is now possible, whereas it is not In contrast, if we create low-cost million. The percentage of those phones feasible with traditional sampling and sensor systems to provide persistent that are smart phones (currently 18%) testing methods. Commercial sensor monitoring, we can start to observe such is increasing at 19% per year. Mobile development eforts are more active changes much sooner by monitoring data use in sub-Saharan Africa doubled than ever, ofering a wide variety trends or setting thresholds. Alarms can between 2012—2013, and is projected of parameters to measure what is be set on specifc parameters and logic to double every year for the next 6 important for a particular region. There within the computer that can determine years. With software and mobile sensors are signifcant eforts underway by risk levels and send notifcations. We designed inclusively with user-centric telecom and tech companies (like would be able to see the threats the incentives, coastal people and maritime Google and Facebook) to connect instant they occur. The low cost and workers the world over can contribute the entire planet. Since such devices ease-of-build could help to open up new to and directly beneft from gathering use similar hardware to that used in possibilities for scientifc data collection data for the ocean. A shift in perception smartphones, we can use those same and environmental protection (from around citizen science from a voluntary networks for connected ecosystems in poaching, overfshing, and resource hobby to building a valuable community areas where communications previously exploitation) on a magnitude that has resource will grow with the increased relied on expensive satellites or ground never before been possible efcacy of these tools. infrastructure.
The connected ecosystem leverages Imagine a marine protected area with THE POWER OF CROWDS the innovation seen in “smart devices”, autonomous underwater vehicles which are network-connected physical patrolling the habitat, networked The democratization of technology and objects with embedded microprocessors, sensors on strategically placed moorings popularity of crowdsourcing has created sensors, and software, to beneft eforts that monitor ocean chemistry and an opportunity to expand conservation in science and conservation. The work environmental DNA, satellite data that eforts far beyond the capabilities of currently underway in the creation of the assess both activity and surface-water a single organization or government. connected home or “smart cities” has chemistry, and numerous other sensors The collaboration inherent in open, bigger implications than many realize. (hydrophones, current monitors, weather networked approaches to conservation It is not a large leap to go from a smart stations) that integrate all of this data creates possibilities for environmental city to a smart ecosystem. In addition, through advanced data analytics. A protection that is more efective than the hardware created to support the system for monitoring, assessment, traditional methods in science and smartphone industry (smaller/faster/ and surveillance could be created conservation. Museum collections, for cheaper microprocessors, sensors, using existing tools. And not only could instance, ofer the highest quality of storage & memory, batteries, and ofcials patrol and protect the MPA more species records, with carefully curated communications equipment) has created efectively, our knowledge of how the voucher specimens verifying each opportunities to miniaturize and spread species are faring in this MPA would datum. However, this curation limits the the Internet of Things capabilities. be advanced, making conservation pace and scale of what can be collected. outcomes measurable. We are recognizing that much more Current conservation and science data is needed to document the pace of eforts could work to create connected Moreover, if the systems are created change in the Anthropocene, and to be nature reserves instead of connected with the appropriate sensors and able to address it. We need to harness toasters and thermostats. By watching deployment plans, we can start to the power of crowds. over the appropriate variables in an identify changes in the environment ecosystem, we can ensure that any years (or even decades) before our The fastest growth in conservation data impacts to biodiversity and ecosystem current capabilities. Under our current comes from large numbers of amateurs. health are quickly identifed and that the monitoring approach, scientists typically New citizen science tools, such as eBird, appropriate mitigation eforts are taken. monitor conservation eforts through the Reef Life Survey, and i-Naturalist,
37 Designing the Next Generation of Technologies
allow a division of labor between The Grand Challenges programs, for the afordable healthcare philosophy amateur observers uploading mystery instance, do not purport to know the by agreeing to the OSDD license. The feld observations from smartphones solutions to the world’s most pressing OSDD approach is to conduct early stage and skilled identifers who catalogue the development issues—but they are research in an open environment in a photos provided. Cooperation between willing to take risks and invest to create highly collaborative fashion involving the amateurs and experts now produces new solutions. When problems at the best minds from around the world. high volumes of quality data for diverse core of a prize or a challenge are well This approach could facilitate global taxa. eBird went international in 2010 defned, they efciently focus research assessments of biodiversity loss and now has >100,000 observers and development eforts to engage and and ecosystem change, new ways of and >100 million observations. Novel capture the imagination of the world’s encouraging collaborative translational approaches have been used to identify best researchers and innovators. A prize research that will support the resilience and count wildlife on Serengeti camera can focus on a specifc breakthrough, of coral species, or development of traps, to assess populations of African while a challenge could result in a replacement products for endangered and Antarctic penguins, and to assist community of possible solutions. With species such as sharks or for meeting the rangers in Namibia through collaborative well-developed problem statements and growing demand for protein. Similarly, micromapping. Wildbook has used identifed characteristics of a solution, open source eforts that have been recreational divers and instructors to we may use a challenge or prize to built around the Arduino/Raspberry improve the understanding of whale rapidly develop deployable solutions Pi/microcontroller communities, 3D sharks’ ranging behavior and distribution. which are selected not only for technical printing and software, and in creating Through their website (www.whaleshark. excellence, but for their potential for technology like drones, OpenROV, and org), they have collected more than scale, translation of research, and other hardware projects have brought 53,000 images of whale sharks impact. The philanthropic community a wealth of open engineering expertise (Rhincodon typus) and 25,000 sighting has extensively used competitions that can be mined to create new reports, resulting in collaborative in the last decade (USAID and Gates’ systems for conservation. Similarly, data tagging of 5,200 whale sharks, from Grand Challenges for Development, as software hackathons/codefests, in which 4,000 divers, 365 days per year. Apps well as the X Prize, are examples). Such computer programmers, design experts, like iNaturalist—which has acquired one tools of open innovation will encourage and subject matter experts collaborate million observations in a few years—feed disruptive breakthroughs that allow the together within a specifc event, could data to Global Biodiversity Information conservation community to fnd novel be used to engineer solutions for Facility. Leafsnap automatically identifes solutions. conservation problems, such as wildlife tree species using photos of their leaves. Greater degrees of global connectivity diseases, or improved sensors, or fnding These tools provide democratization have enabled greater data collection, ways to better protect species against of assisted expertise tools, coupled analysis, and collaboration across borders environmental change. with curation for quality control. The than ever before. Open Source Drug Finally, crowdsourcing has provided new possibility of ofering incentives for data Discovery (OSDD) created a platform for opportunities, not only for participating collection also exists. Gigwalk, a company collaborative, early-stage research to in science but for funding it as well. In who pays users small amounts of money develop new drugs for neglected tropical addition to major crowdfunding platforms to upload photos of store shelves on diseases such as tuberculosis and like Indiegogo and Kickstarter, many behalf of retailers that need customer malaria. OSDD collaboratively aggregates smaller, science-specialized platforms data, could be applied to generating data the biological, genetic, and chemical exist, such as Medstartr, Experiment, from under-studied and unmonitored information available to scientists to Crowdrise, Razoo, and Rockethub. marine habitats. Recognition and hasten the discovery of drugs. It uses a Crowdfunding allows for higher risk, competition may be as efective as translational platform for drug discovery, higher reward science that overcomes fnancial rewards. bringing together informaticians, the conservatism of government funding Prizes and challenge competitions wet lab scientists, contract research and forces scientists to build an audience focus attention on a problem, without organizations, clinicians, hospitals, and for their work, which is essential to the being constrained by existing practices. others who are willing to adhere to public understanding of science.
38 Designing the Next Generation of Technologies
INCENTIVES, BEHAVIOR, Design is the application of behavioral of novel biological components and AND DESIGN science and anthropology to products systems that do not already exist in the and systems. When done well, design natural world, and on the re-design and Prevailing cultural norms, institutional can integrate the needs of people fabrication of existing systems. inertia, and ingrained notions of the and species; the possibilities of environment can be barriers to systemic technology; and the demand for impact, This technology will provide new change toward sustainable use of the sustainability, and scalability. As nearly opportunities to protect ocean oceans and restorative ocean ecology. half of the world’s population lives ecosystems. Specifcally, it may help Every conservation or development issue within 200 kilometers of a coastline accelerate adaptation to a changing involves humans, and, therefore, involves and the majority of those people are in environment due to climate change and human behavior. Many of the widespread developing nations, we must consider increase the resilience of ecosystems threats to marine life are the result of the use cases; potential unintended against human degradation and individual human behavior. This means impacts; cultural and social suitability; invasive species. It can also be used for that addressing the root cause also cost; environment; maintainability; controlling invasive species, including involves modifying individual behavior, education levels; and manufacturing, halting the spread of novel pathogens but this reality is underappreciated in distribution, and supply chains for that threaten ecosystems. Synthetic conservation. the development of new behavioral, biology could provide substitutes for resources that are the underlying Behavior is the cutting edge of fnancial, and technological innovations drivers of environmental change— adaptation. It can be the fastest way for the oceans. Artisanal fshers, for from protein to plastics—changing to meaningful change and also the example, battle with commercial fshing demand for products that are currently biggest barrier to it. These challenges operations and oftentimes cannot aford illegally harvested from protected areas of behavior can also provide solutions. the technology or systems improvements (e.g., meat, timber, non-timber forest Conservation can harness behavior to that would aid them in the long run. How products). It will also help with the bring change and break down barriers. might we make vital technology like restoration of existing degraded lands This suite of tools includes incentives vessel tracking and traceability software and regions, enabling crop production and rewards, harnessing competition an advantage to a fsher instead of a on lands currently viewed as marginal, and gamifcation, knowledge gaps, social fnancial burden to avoid?? thereby reducing the need for ecosystem pressure and networks, fear, self-identity conversion from forest to farmland. and self-worth, and altruism, among SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY AND others. PROGRAMABLE LIFE Synthetic biology is not without controversy. Just as with genetically Similarly, fnancial innovations tied Current advances in molecular modifed organisms, synthetic biology to human behavior also provide biology are rivaling—and in some faces many of the challenges of opportunities to bring large-scale cases overtaking—the remarkable biocontrol, our ability to ensure that change. They include pay-for- breakthroughs we have seen in natural systems and species are not performance mechanisms such as computing and information technology. disrupted by technological intervention direct payments for conservation, The human genome experiment in 1990 into biological processes, as well as advance market commitments, social cost 2.7 billion dollars and took 13 years concerns over human and ecosystem impact bonds, conservation fnance, to create a reference genome of the health. Moreover, synthetic biology conservation and credit trading human species. By 2014, commercial techniques are being proposed for use platforms, as well as harnessing technology could sequence 55 genomes in recreating extinct species (e.g., the new tools and platforms such as a day, at $1,000 per genome. Concordant mammoth, Tasmanian tiger, and the crowdfunding, microinsurance, with information technology, the efcacy passenger pigeon), and have signifcant microcredits, peer-to-peer lending, and speed of sequencing eforts have ethical concerns. These activities are pay-as-you-go mechanisms, and been accompanied by miniaturization overly mechanistic, failing to incorporate franchise schemes. Global health and and portability. The modern synthesis an understanding of development, education have pioneered many of of biology, technology, and data science reproductive biology, and ecology, these approaches for social good and has created the entirely new feld of and may ultimately distract from the ofer examples and failures from which synthetic biology. Synthetic biology positive uses of synthetic biology for conservationists can learn. focuses on the design and fabrication conservation.
39 Designing the Next Generation of Technologies
ENGINEERING BIOMES, of 1,000 species, with considerable BUILDING THE TRIBE SPECIES, AND SYSTEMS variation between individuals), and their We need to build a community of physical and mental health, nutrition, practice for the next generation of Recent advances in genomics have immune response, and response to opened up our understanding of conservationists to accelerate and drugs. Disease can result not just from microbiology. Bacteria and other substantially increase conservation’s the presence of pathogens, but from microbes are the most diverse organisms impact. We will build a novel community the absence or altered composition on earth and play a pivotal role in from the existing conservation of organisms in the microbiome. The planetary cycling of nutrients and movement, but also incorporate increase in novel diseases around energy. Within the human body alone, technologists, biological engineers, the world that are decimating there are over 100 trillion microbial designers, makers, innovators, species, like the devastating efect of symbionts, which constitutes up to an hackers, marketers, fnanciers, and Chytridiomycosis on amphibians, may order of magnitude more non-human anthropologists. We must serve as be a result of imbalance in microbial cells than human cells. Moreover, the a catalyst, connector, amplifer, and communities. collective microbial genome contains mobilizer within the conservation 100 times more genes than the The power of the microbiota is community, relying on an ecosystem of human genome. Microbes control the just beginning to be understood institutions and individuals that enable composition of gases in the atmosphere, for applications in global health us to efectively understand, source, test, and are major agents of nutrient cycles and agriculture, yet there are few and accelerate conservation solutions. on the planet. applications for conservation— We call this community our ‘Tribe.’ much less for marine conservation. Yet much remains to be learned about By creating mechanisms for communities Microbiology, despite borrowing heavily the ecological role of microbiota. to tell their stories, share conservation from the foundations of conservation Emerging research suggests that biology and ecology, has been largely successes, fundraise, and collaborate microbes play a signifcant role in ignored by conservation science until globally, environmental engagement maintaining ecosystem functions over recently. Yet, advances in microbiology will reach people that it has not the long term. We do not, however, ofer great promise for conservation previously reached. Many conservation understand the extent to which microbial applications. Within farming systems, challenges around the world share communities follow the same rules of which have a signifcant impact on our similarities despite their disparate community ecology and organization at oceans, we could potentially reduce the locations. If the global community the microscale, as larger organisms do at ecological impact of meat production had more efective communication the human scale; nor do we understand by increasing the efciency of nutrient approaches and connection to their the extent of the role microbes play in extraction in the gut, or alternatively, tribe of solvers, stories would emerge generating and maintaining the earth’s reducing the need for antibiotics. For to unite these conservation challenges ecological services. Our knowledge of plants, microbiological engineering and solutions, helping the people the marine microbiome is also incredibly promises novel ways of reducing who are impacted most. Social media thin. What we do understand suggests pesticides to better shape plant health initiatives like StoryCorps have been the hidden power of microbiota for and productivity. Finally, we could create very successful in putting a human face conservation. probiotics for conservation, to help on issues. Conservation, and associated Emerging research suggests important with the restoration of natural systems technological solutions, should leverage links between the diversity and makeup and communities that have been the importance of story to raise the of an individual’s microbiome (the disturbed by human activities and global profle of these issues and create a typical human microbiome is made up environment change. culture of change.
40 INTRODUCTION Creating the In the twentieth century, innovation was science and technology and accelerating primarily driven by the government, connectivity, we can allow conservation Pipeline large corporations, or universities to operate at the pace and on the scale investing heavily in internal research and necessary to match the planet’s most development to advance research. Such intractable environmental challenges. directed innovation, utilizing internal There is a clear need to accelerate processes and research and development conservation solutions, harness new partnerships between research institutes, technologies, and draw upon new solvers universities, corporations, and the federal and new solutions (especially within government, were vital to the creation biodiversity-rich countries) to help us of the technologies that now power co-design and co-create a diferent set of modern life. However, with advances solutions to improve the efcacy, speed, in information and communication cost, and scale of global conservation technologies, coupled with exponential eforts for our oceans. technological advancement driven by A variety of models for innovation consumer products, and a new Maker’s sourcing, development, and acceleration/ movement that prioritizes creation and incubation exist in the startup ecosystem innovation, the opportunity gap between that provide a roadmap for Conservation those large companies and individual X. Harnessing the best practices from citizens around the world has begun to accelerators and innovation challenges close. and prizes, we will create a ‘Tribe’ for This unprecedented series of conservation innovation and a pipeline technological, fnancial, and social forces through which the most promising have now made it possible to transform breakthrough technologies that solve key conservation for exponential success. conservation challenges will be sourced, By harnessing the democratization of developed, and accelerated to scale.
OPEN INNOVATION AS A TOOL FOR CONSERVATION Open innovation is a modern approach to an old problem. At the highest level, it is an open and collaborative process that expands the pool of talent and creativity to create, incubate, and accelerate efective and impactful solutions that address complex challenges. While there are many manifestations of these types of programs, openness and participation are the catalysts for open innovation. By thoughtfully opening up organizational and industry-wide challenges to the masses, we can unleash creative potential that has the promise to make lasting positive impact as people contribute their own talents to issues they care deeply about.
41 Creating the Pipeline
I. SOURCE Innovation can and should interdisciplinary experts, members of the come from anywhere private and public sector, and input from everyone from citizen scientists to Nobel Sourcing is a frst step in the process of laureates to create novel technologies, creating sustainable and transformative models, or systems. solutions, and relies heavily on the Collaborative events and sessions execution of the program in order to can serve a broader purpose in succeed in attracting breakthrough conjunction with prizes to increase solutions to complex challenges. The public knowledge and recognition of the fundamental preconditions for open prize and galvanize activity around the innovation require not only a shared challenge space. Although not as likely solution to a problem but also a shared to produce a specifc scalable solution defnition and understanding of that as a competition, these co-design problem to facilitate a co-creative sessions can serve a valuable purpose process. Instead of simply harnessing the in expanding the reach and role of the power of the crowd to validate ideas, we challenge as a whole and building the will utilize mass collaboration to access broader tribe working on that set of the talents of a broader community issues or problems. Longer processes or in forming those ideas to reach the competitions that incorporate iterative best outcomes across institutions and models, mentorship, and a scaled-down platforms. acceleration process beyond funds can Through open innovation, we will focus contribute heavily to competitor success a massive community of solvers against once the challenge is complete and also the core constraints of these problems, enable sustained engagement around bring in new entrants, technologies, the challenge areas and solutions. and innovations into conservation, Finally, we will partner with universities and create an ecosystem of solutions, to incentivize students and faculty solvers, and resources that will transform to help us co-design and solve the the feld and change the view of what is Conservation Grand Challenges, possible. Our goal is to take a high risk, source breakthrough ideas, license high reward approach to investment promising intellectual property, and in the best ideas early on, allowing help commercialize innovations and for revolutionary over evolutionary bring them to market. We have ties with advances, and then to scale those leading engineering schools, including companies (and innovations) that have Duke’s Pratt School of Engineering, proven success in their impact. Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon The sourcing of innovations and University, the University of California, technologies can come from two primary Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute drivers in the open innovation space: (1) of Technology, and environmental competitions, challenges, and incentive schools, including Duke’s Nicholas prizes or (2) collaborative events and co- School of the Environment, Yale School design spaces. In each case, we harness of Forestry, and Stanford’s Wood’s the collective knowledge and expertise Institute. We will also work closely of the crowd to understand and begin with Singularity University, Google, and to solve a problem. The process requires Microsoft on technology development.
42 Creating the Pipeline
RECOMMENDATIONS SELECTION PROCESS Create a set of conservation challenges In making potential investments, we that incorporate an incentive prize and will determine whether the companies co-creative programming to inspire new and innovations are transformative, entrants to the space, harnessing the impactful, scalable, sustainable, feasible, resources of multi-sector partners to identify and potentially proftable. As our goal the most promising breakthrough solutions is to build a platform of long-term and innovators. sustainability, we will seek to construct • Engage multi-sector stakeholders and a portfolio of diversifed risk, impact, partners to expand reach including novelty, and proftability. government, civil society, NGOs, Based on results from the Big Think, the private sector, and the startup challenge design, systems mapping, and community. innovator outreach, we will establish a tDesign the program and develop detailed set of judging criteria based on internal capacity to provide the proper the following qualities: resources and staf to support the • Transformative: whether the idea challenge and help create a budding is revolutionary, novel, or questions conservation innovation community. fundamental assumptions in its tCreate a collaborative, solutions-driven approach; tone for the challenge. tImpactful: whether the proposed idea tIdentify the specifc barriers and key will make a signifcant contribution in constraints that—once solved—could advancing conservation eforts through lead to the most transformative impact dramatic improvements in efcacy, and ignite a breakthrough solution. speed, efciency, or cost; tCreate the necessary platforms and tScalable: whether the proposed idea facilitate access to key resources that is replicable and scalable to diferent are necessary to solving the identifed communities, species, and contexts; challenge. tSustainable: whether the proposed idea tHost a large gathering for the is sustainable in both its design and completion of the challenge, and a series tenure; of co-creative programs to galvanize tFeasible: whether the proposed solution interest and action in the space. is realistic with an acceptable degree tPlan for what follows the challenge, of risk, and noting where it sits on the having a clear path and the necessary development spectrum, from idea to resources for participants to develop deployment; and accelerate their ideas into viable tProftable: whether the proposed solutions. solution will be proftable within conservation or through secondary markets outside of conservation, or will lead to intellectual property with the potential to be acquired. Finally, as individuals are signifcant to the success or failure of a company, we will make an assessment of the leadership potential of the innovators, and our ability to assist them in developing their skills.
43 Creating the Pipeline
II. DEVELOP: PROTOTYPE tProvide and facilitate access to TRANSFORMING IDEAS physical resources for innovators PROTOTYPE, INTO REALITY to model, iterate, test, and refne INCUBATE, Once identifed, licensed, or co- solutions into viable products. created, every idea enters a stage of This may include fab labs and and ITERATE development that is critical to its future makers’ spaces, app design and as a potential sustained innovation. This testing resources, and wet labs and stage encompasses the creation of an biohacking tools. This may be through innovation that could blossom into an partnerships (e.g., with Green Town actual solution to a problem. At the close Labs outside of Boston), or through building our own dedicated design and of any open innovation approach—be it a engineering studios. prize, hackathon, or co-design session— teams are often left with the backbone of tMentor innovators with a curated a solution but need additional resources, list of technical experts and design mentorship, and time to develop it into professionals who have committed a viable solution or product that could to providing specifc assistance or be scaled to enter the market. The main resources to participants. requirement is a clear idea, model, or product that can be iterated, modeled, INCUBATE and refned over time. The licensing of SUPPORTING intellectual property requires a similar COLLABORATION pathway toward the development of BY DESIGN prototypes. The best incubators involve a As potential solutions have been combination of physical space coupled sourced, we shift from a competitive with programmatic tools and resources, environment to a more collaborative one. a robust community of fellow startups at At this stage, the goal is the creation of diferent stages, and access to mentors a minimum viable product or prototype. and fnance. Our goal is to build not This requires an environment that only a library of intellectual property fosters interaction and feedback, and and fnancially successful companies builds momentum. This stage is also that will transform conservation, but to integral to creating the business case harness the collective ideas and wisdom for the innovation—a justifcation for of this community to maximize the the expected commercial beneft, and success of each innovation for impacting pathway to scale and sustainability. conservation at scale. These eforts would efectively map out the landscape Prototype Recommendations: of conservation technology. tBuild a community of innovators & In the incubation phase, we will build entrepreneurs in the program that can an ecosystem where the incentives support and aid each other throughout encourage collaboration over the process. Although most incubators competition. This will be a one- or two- focus on mentorship, peer-to-peer year program, with both residence and learning among entrepreneurs can be virtual training components. We will even more powerful and useful. host companies within an incubator tEngage and create the tribe or space, potentially in partnership with community around the challenge areas the Global Impact Hub network, which for co-design and co-development has sites in San Francisco, Berkeley, New through tech demos and makers faires. York City, Philadelphia, and Washington,
44 Creating the Pipeline
D.C., as well as world-wide, which would company and adapt to specifc enable us to create a global community company needs through consistent of practice, share the best ideas, and communication. promote collaboration across our tLocate incubators in hubs of the portfolio of conservation solutions. This innovation, startup, and conservation may be combined with resources for communities in multiple locations prototype development. including San Francisco, Washington, Through our programming, we will D.C., and the developing world. bring in expertise in fnance, design, engineering, and business to support and ITERATE work with the teams. We will also use our ENGINEERING AND DESIGN own digital training program, Innovation FOR CONSERVATION & Design for Global Grand Challenges, developed in partnership with Duke We will work with a wide range of University and the on-line course partners, including those in the company Coursera — to help companies conservation community such as WWF, and innovators get the expertise they WCS, and the Smithsonian, to take need to scale as social enterprises. promising technologies and solutions We will partner with some of the best that we invest in or create, from the lab programs for social impact globally: or the garage to the marketplace. To Duke’s innovation and entrepreneurship do so, we will work with innovators to program, Santa Clara University’s Global feld-test and rapidly iterate prototypes Social Beneft Incubator, and Further across multiple locations, in diferent by Design and SecondMuse’s Launch socio-cultural contexts, evaluating Accelerator to provide further content technologies for cost, environment, and programming for training innovators. function, suitability, reliability, efcacy, manufacturing and distribution. Recommendations Recommendations • Educate innovators in entrepreneurial skills including business strategy, Create a product development pathway pitching their product to investors, and and resources for sourced ideas customer acquisition. and innovators that facilitates the development of novel technologies and Provide fnancial and legal resources t harnesses the power of a conservation to fedgling companies to expand and tribe to refne, iterate, and develop ideas further develop their product and into viable solutions. determine the correct course of action for their product. • Partner with the scientifc and tExpand the publicity and marketing for conservation communities to test innovators and provide access points new technologies or approaches, to the right media or contacts to reach assess their efectiveness and customers and the general public. suitability for their user communities given education levels, operating Identify and recruit entrepreneurs t environments, cost, maintenance & who are a step ahead in the process to reliability, distribution channels, and guide innovators, as well as a broader manufacturing and assembly. network of experienced and expert mentors and investors that can help • Harness crowdfunding as a means of facilitate scaling and market entrance. measuring market readiness, engaging tProvide physical ofce space the larger community in design and and business resources including development, capturing user response technological tools to run an efective and feedback, and expand the market.
45 Creating the Pipeline
III. ACCELERATE Scaling solutions for Recommendations transformative impact • Host large kickof event, progress ENGINEERING and long-term sustainability updates, and pitch events that can mark the timeline of the incubator’s and DESIGN for Acceleration functions primarily to annual schedule and allow innovators CONSERVATION provide key resources and capacities to to measure and share progress with refned products or ventures so that they investors and the broader community. can quickly and efectively break into new markets, expand within an existing • Showcase innovators’ products to market, or franchise the core technology. investors and the broader conservation community to garner support for Scale is a metric of both sustainability their scaling and adoption through and impact. Without widespread an annual conservation tech fair and application, innovative solutions will not conservation technology conference help solve conservation problems. To (potentially in partnership with a major ensure ideas get to scale, we will bring innovation conference, such as SXSW together social innovators and serial Eco). entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, donors, and foundations to • Assist conservation entrepreneurs in provide innovators with services such raising capital to achieve scale through as seed funding, grants, incubation direct investments, grants, fnancing, and accelerator services, networking and acquisition. opportunities, operational business • Connect innovators to companies and support services, knowledge exchange, investors who can help bring their and technical assistance. We will also innovations to scale. facilitate access to equity, debt, and other capital, in addition to our own investments.
We will create a ‘Tribe’ for conservation innovation and a pipeline through which the most promising breakthrough technologies that solve key conservation challenges will be sourced, developed, and accelerated to scale.
46 INVESTMENT MODEL
Our approach in funding new STAGE 2 CAPITAL FUND innovations will be to partner with TESTING AND Beyond the initial challenge a variety of institutions to de-risk POSITIONING FOR SCALE: investments, we may set up a fexible, individual investments and leverage Stage 2 grants support testing for higher risk capital fund to de-risk additional capital. Moreover, we will conservation impact, improved second-stage investments and make use a tiered investment model to outcomes and/or market viability, as the deals competitive. The capital can support innovators who may be at well as operational refnement to build be structured as needed to stimulate diferent points along the pipeline. paths to sustainability and scale. Stage private investment. This fund could 2 applicants should have already met provide both grants and fnancing. all the requirements of a Stage 1 project INITIAL INVESTMENTS Grants may be used to fund supply- described above. Stage 2 projects range Drawing inspiration from product from $150,000 to $500,000. side interventions such as improving development enterprises, venture the innovation, capacity building of capital, and the Grand Challenges for STAGE 3 the management team, facilitating Development program at USAID, we TRANSITIONING PROVEN production, improving distribution may use a three-tiered fnance model SOLUTIONS TO SCALE: models, gaining operational efciency, to maximize cost-efectiveness and and expanding access to capital to Stage 3 grants support the process of fnance the growth strategy. Demand- minimize the risk of testing new ideas. transitioning proven approaches to scale, side interventions may include This approach will be used to determine which could include adaptation to new improving market linkages, securing the initial level of investment into an contexts and geographies. Operational contracts, building partnerships, enterprise in exchange for equity. challenges for scaling should be enabling penetration of new markets, identifed and addressed, allowing for STAGE 1 and providing support in attracting a refnement and iteration along defned larger customer base. PROOF OF CONCEPT: pathways to scale. Stage 3 applicants The fund could also provide a frst-loss Stage 1 grants support prototyping must explain how they will use investment funds in a catalytic fashion loan that would be ranked junior to and the introduction of a solution in a so that they can leverage additional the commercial investor. Alternatively, conservation context to gain an early, needed resources from outside sources. the impact-frst investor could receive real-world assessment of the solution. Stage 3 funding and support provides a fxed return (e.g., principal plus low This includes testing for technical, a runway for applicants to grow by interest), allowing any remaining profts organization, distribution, and fnancial preparing them for outside investment, to be distributed to the commercial viability. Key activities could include while engaging additional partners who investor. Private investors will be more initial feld testing, assessing user will help scale the project beyond our willing to support the businesses when feedback or demand, willingness to support, but for whom more evidence they are more “investment-ready” and pay, and product design, as well as of success and track record are needed. the management team is proven. In documenting social outcomes and real- Stage 3 grants range from $500,000 to addition to lowering risk for private world costs to implement the solution. $2.5 million. Most funding would be investors, this structure helps to increase done in partnership with other sources, transaction size for private investors, Stage 1 funding levels range from including development agencies, impact since more-developed business $25,000 to $100,000 per project. investors, and foundations. Public opportunities tend to require larger funding would be used to de-risk other amounts of capital for growth compared potential investments. with those in the seed-stage phase.
47 Who we are
CONSERVATION X LABS Conservation X Labs is a conservation technology and innovation frm based in Washington D.C. that seeks to create a new model for conservation. At its core, it is an innovation platform focused on developing new disruptive breakthroughs in technology, behavior change, and fnancial incentives, using the power of open collaborative problem solving, directed research and development, and the market. It focuses on developing innovations that improve the efcacy, speed, cost, and scale of global conservation eforts with the aim of ending human induced extinction. CX Labs’ goal is to create the platforms, coupled with the scientifc and technological tools, that empower the larger conservation community.
FURTHER by Design FURTHER is a collaboration and innovation company working with governments, companies, FURTHER™ non-profts, and investors to accelerate the development of efective partnerships to address systemic design challenges. FURTHER is not a big box consultancy or a traditional research company. Our team of connectors - who specialize in innovation through collaboration - approach a design challenge by profling and assessing the landscape then engaging the most infuential and resourceful players, both internal and external, to co- design, incubate and implement a strategy or solution. Through collaborative processes and tools that help both internal teams align and execute, and organizations to work better with external partners, we have been bringing a systems perspective to designing and accelerating innovations and solutions across a wide range of issues, including zero waste, afordable housing, agriculture supply chain sustainability, space exploration, breast cancer in the developing world, mobile banking, and alternative energy systems, to name a few.
SecondMuse SecondMuse is an innovation and collaboration agency that runs some of the world’s largest mass collaborations to date, including the International Space Apps Challenge, the White House’s National Day of Civic Hacking and Random Hacks of Kindness. We co-create prosperity by applying the science of collaboration to solve complex problems. We believe that the key to human prosperity is the coming together of diverse thinking and coordinated action to solve the really tough challenges. We create and facilitate this process. Our team builds capacity in people to think about challenges in a diferent way and create alternative solutions. We help facilitate this ongoing process using the principles of design thinking, curated collaboration, and open innovation, creating opportunities for change across organizations and industries.
World Wildlife Fund WWF’s mission is to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth. One of world’s leading conservation organizations, WWF works in 100 countries and is supported by 1.1 million members in the United States and close to 5 million globally. WWF’s unique way of working combines global reach with a foundation in science, involves action at every level from local to global, and ensures the delivery of innovative solutions that meet the needs of both people and nature.
48