The health of our ecosystems forms the foundation of biodiversity conservation (1-6). Without tackling key stressors – such as pollution and habitat degradation – efforts to protect and restore biodiversity will fall short. Lasting conservation success depends on addressing these root causes, ensuring that gains are both scalable and sustainable.

At PlanBlue, we are continuously evolving our technology to generate actionable data for restoring ecosystem health at scale. One of our most promising innovations is the visualization of pollution, particularly focusing on eutrophication – a process driven by excess nutrients entering coastal waters. This widespread issue affects nearly every marine ecosystem globally, and is a key contributor to the degradation of coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and other vital habitats (7,8).

Our approach enables us to map pollution at scale, rather than relying solely on individual point samples. By scanning continuous stripes of the seafloor along the coastline using hyperspectral imaging, we provide a detailed view of ecosystem health indicators – such as cyanobacterial mats—that serve as early warning signs of eutrophication (9-15). These insights not only help quantify the extent of the issue along the coastline but also support efforts to identify pollution sources, often originating on land, where targeted mitigation can begin

The ability to pinpoint stressors like eutrophication is critical to enabling effective restoration and safeguarding food security for coastal communities. Healthy, biodiverse ecosystems not only support marine life, but also enhance natural carbon removal – contributing to global climate mitigation efforts (16).

– Dr. Hannah Brocke, Co-Founder of PlanBlue

This development is supported through funding from the European Regional Development Fund (EFRE) under the PFAU program (Programm zur Förderung anwendungsnaher Umwelttechniken). The project has just begun and aims to advance the use of seafloor hyperspectral technology for detecting marine eutrophication and supporting restoration. With this support, we’re accelerating the development of impactful environmental solutions.

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References: (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) (7) (8) (9) (10) (11) (12) (13) (14) (15) (16)