Internet of things helps track endangered dugongs in the Philippines

Collaboration helps protect rare species

Each image will indicate the location of a dugong via GPS, and allow C3 to map the sightings and get a clear idea of the population in the area. This data allows the team to put together recommendations for future protection areas.

The plan is to share the data with other conservationists worldwide, and also with the local Council of Development to help C3 lobby the local government.

“Traditionally, we have had to track these amazing sea creatures from the air, which is expensive and not entirely reliable,” said Chris Poonian, a consultant at C3.

“Using smartphones to monitor endangered species is an innovative and novel approach. This collaborative project is one of the first initiatives of its kind to employ smartphone technology. If successful, these approaches could have important applications for surveys of rare species throughout the world,” he said.

IoT for conservation initiatives

Using IoT and mobile technology for conservation is a simple but effective approach, said Simon Hodgkinson, founder of SEN, which provides a platform for conservationists and technologists to share ideas and network.

“This technology is helping to take the expense and legwork out of conservation, especially in the more remote parts of the world. While this project is in its infancy, the feedback from the local community has been positive and we are seeing early results from the data,” said Hodgkinson.

Serene Chan, industry manager of digital transformation at Frost & Sullivan Asia-Pacific, said IoT technology has made it possible to collect, transmit, store and share data in ways that were not possible before.

“The declining cost of sensors, modules and devices has created a lot of excitement and expectations about the results technology can achieve,” said Chan.

Effective collaboration is key to the successful use of IoT technology in conservation efforts, added Chan. “Extending the collaboration to the public, in this case the fishermen, is a very useful way to support conservation efforts.”

She said that using IoT technology in this conservation effort is effective, as it uses satellite tagging and tracking of sea animals to gain insights on their location, movement patterns and other behavioural parameters.

“Data can also be extracted and presented in the form of a web-based dashboard showing an aggregated view of specific parameters, such as the environmental condition these sea animals are in.”