News

By Dr. Beth Brady, Director of Science and Conservation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has become increasingly ubiquitous in our daily lives. You may have interacted with AI tools like ChatGPT to ask questions or noticed AI-generated suggestions when searching for information online. While the growing presence of AI in everyday activities can seem overwhelming, its applications in scientific research, particularly in wildlife studies, are proving to be extremely valuable. One example is the use of AI in research with manatees.

AI is starting to play an important role in the acoustic analysis of manatee vocalizations. Sounds produced by manatees provide researchers with valuable insights into manatee presence, whether calves are nearby, and how manatees use different habitats. However, detecting these calls involves sifting through massive volumes of underwater audio recordings. In one recent study, researchers collected approximately 80 gigabytes of acoustic data. Manually analyzing this data to identify manatee calls would require more than 100 hours of continuous work by a trained human. With AI-assisted algorithms, the same task can be completed in just a few hours. This not only boosts efficiency but also accelerates the pace of discovery, allowing researchers to focus more on interpreting results and informing conservation strategies. Save the Manatee Club is collaborating with research partners to classify manatee vocalizations based on call type. Different types of vocalizations can provide valuable information about the age of the animals producing them. For example, one specific call, the “hill-shaped” high squeak, is commonly produced by young calves. Identifying the presence of these calf-specific calls in underwater recordings helps researchers determine where cows and their calves are spending time. This information is important for understanding the specific habitat needs of females and their offspring and can guide efforts to protect these areas from human disturbance or environmental degradation.

Another promising application of AI in manatee research is photo-identification. Manatees frequently carry scars from boat collisions, and researchers use these unique markings, much like fingerprints, to identify individual animals over time. Traditionally, this process involves manually comparing thousands of photographs, which is not only time-consuming but also challenging. Identifying and matching every individual is difficult, especially since not all manatees in a population have been cataloged. Researchers must carefully compare each image against all known individuals before determining whether a manatee is new to the database. AI-driven image recognition software can significantly streamline this process by rapidly scanning and matching photographs across large datasets. This technology improves both the speed and accuracy of identifications, reducing the workload on researchers while increasing the reliability of long-term tracking. Similar AI tools are already in use for species like whales and sea turtles, and adapting them for manatees holds great promise for improving population monitoring and informing conservation strategies.

AI can also be combined with drone imagery to provide a broader and less intrusive view of manatee behavior. Drones give researchers a high-resolution, aerial perspective, enabling the observation of manatee movements, social interactions, and habitat use with minimal disturbance to the animals. Drones can collect hours of video footage, which traditionally would require extensive manual review. AI algorithms can streamline this process by automatically scanning the footage to detect manatee presence, count individuals, and even distinguish between adults and calves. With continued advancement, AI may also be able to estimate body length and assess body condition based on visual measurements, tools that could prove invaluable in monitoring manatee health.

In summary, AI is emerging as a powerful tool in manatee conservation. By helping researchers process large and complex datasets more efficiently, AI is accelerating scientific discovery and enabling more informed and timely decisions to protect this vulnerable species.