AI-Based Recognition for Underwater Monitoring of Different Types of Corals Using Pulse Ultrasonic Systems

Coral reefs, which account for approximately one-third of all marine species, not only provide economic activities but also play a crucial role in coastal protection due to their high species richness and complexity. However, human activities and climate change have directly and indirectly impacted coral reefs, leading to a rapid decline worldwide. As a result, many ecological researchers have investigated the issue of coral depletion. Traditional coral monitoring requires visual surveillance and captures surface-level changes without providing insight into the internal or finer details of corals. Therefore, we developed an ultrasound monitoring system to gather deep information about corals which were then classified using AI technology. This system accurately identified coral species and offered the advantages of being user-friendly, analytically simple, and cost-effective compared to other monitoring techniques.