BlueTech at a Glance
, though estimates of how much of that energy is available for power generation by tidal barrages are between 120 and 400 GW, depending on the location and the potential for conversion.
"BlueTech" refers to the innovative application of technology to enhance the sustainable management and development of the Blue Economy, comprising of oceans, coasts, and large water bodies. It facilitates sustainable water management, critical for agriculture, industry, and human consumption, thereby ensuring food security and economic stability. Additionally, through innovations in desalination, wastewater treatment, and recycling technologies, BlueTech provides solutions for water scarcity, which is a growing concern amid climate change. Its applications in marine renewable energy, such as tidal and wave power, offer alternative energy sources, helping nations to transition towards a low-carbon and zero-carbon economies. Furthermore, advancements in oceanic data collection and analysis contribute to more efficient maritime trade and better understanding of climate patterns, benefiting economies on multiple fronts. Consequently, BlueTech fosters sustainable economic growth, enhances climate resilience, and supports global sustainable development goals.
The table below is an illustration of the examples of how the three types of technological disruption described in the previous section can be used for the four Blue Economy areas described earlier.
|
Blue Economy Element |
|||||
|
Fisheries & Aquaculture |
Marine Pollution |
Seascape Management |
Oceanic Sectors |
||
|
Disruptive Tech Type |
Data Value Chain |
• Illegal fishing tracking (AIS/sensors, earth observation, ML/AI) • Tracking ghost fishing gear • Early warning/ rescue • Planning and operational decision support systems |
• Pollution monitoring (with in-situ and aerial systems), fate and transport models (incl. for plastics) |
• Monitoring and modeling systems (e.g. for forecasting, coastal floods, hydrodynamics, erosion, marine spatial planning) • Planning systems for Blue Carbon |
• Satellite earth observation • Aerial surveys, incl. drones (aerial, on water, underwater) • In-situ sensors/crowdsourcing • Cloud Analytics • Interactive dashboards, VR/AR |
|
Operational Systems |
• Modern aquaculture/ aquaponics/ sustainable fisheries • Improved fish feed and processing |
• Reduce, reuse, recycle • Generating useful products from waste • Robots/machinery/booms for beach/ocean cleanup and oil spill management |
• Nature-based solutions enhanced by tech – e.g. drones to plant mangroves, robotic platforms for seaweed • 3-D printed Coral Reef bases |
• Offshore energy (wind, solar, tidal)/”Flotovoltaics” • Floating infrastructure/cities • Undersea/Ocean agriculture (incl. kelp/seaweed) • Autonomous shipping • Marine pharmaceuticals • Operational “digital twins” |
|
|
Stakeholder Interaction |
• Fisheries and feed marketing platforms and services • Blockchain-enhanced sustainable value chains |
• Hackathons for innovative approaches to manage plastics and other pollution |
• Stakeholder information and interaction systems |
• Fintech, Shared Economy platforms • Platforms for stakeholder interaction • Internships |
|
Some of these areas are explored further in the next section.
This section provides examples of emerging global good practice for the application of emerging technologies in various facets of the Blue Economy space, also known as above as “BlueTech”. This resource provides examples from fisheries & aquaculture, seascape management, oceanic sectors, and for climate mitigation and adaptation as it relates to the Blue Economy.
Due to increased seafood consumption, and farmed fish exceeding wild-caught, innovative technologies have been introduced in fisheries and aquaculture. BlueTech, with tools such as remote sensing, underwater drones, and smart fishing gear, offers transformative solutions for the fisheries sector, enabling sustainable practices and conservation of marine ecosystems. Balancing fisheries with environmental conservation are challenging, but advanced analytics, which utilizes sophisticated methods for big data collection, processing, and interpretation, offers a potential solution ... innovations like remote sensing, underwater drones, and smart fishing gear, can support sustainable fishing practices and marine ecosystem conservation, by enhancing efficiency, reducing waste, and promoting sustainability. Although the use of these tools has mostly been limited to small-scale pilots, they hold significant potential for wider application.
Annual marine deaths caused by plastic ingestion are alarmingly high, with a rising number of species facing potential extinction. Microplastics, tiny plastic particles, have infiltrated our food, water, and even bloodstreams, with the health impacts yet to be fully understood. These plastics primarily originate from poor waste disposal practices, breaking down into microplastics through sunlight, ocean waves, and microbes. To combat this, technologies like real-time microplastic sensing systems, incentivizing recycling programs like Social Plastic in Indonesia , and advanced detection methods including earth observation, drones, and machine learning are being utilized.
Debris cleanup innovations include the Seabin Project a hybrid trash can and pool skimmer, capable of filtering out macro and microplastics and oil-based pollutants. Autonomous underwater vehicles and devices like electrostatic collectors help tackle pollutants like tyre dust, a significant contributor to microplastic pollution. Furthermore, bio-based absorbents are being used to clean oil spills, and machine learning coupled with satellite imagery is being deployed to detect marine debris. Efforts to mitigate ghost gear include IoT sensors on buoys, biodegradable fishing nets, and tracking systems like Canada's Fishing Gear Reporting Center . Additionally, devices like acoustic transponders are used to track fishing nets, and backup flotation buoys are used to retrieve lost cages. Artificial Neural Networks help monitor gillnet conditions to prevent damage and loss. Other techniques include using absorbent materials or skimmers for oil spill cleanup, as well as innovations listed in a 2020 UN report like debris-cleanup boats, sea-bins, wetlands introduction, wastewater treatment, and advanced coagulation technology.
Scientists use earth observation satellites to monitor coastal erosion, a significant global issue. They are applying cloud computing, machine learning, and image processing to overcome the limitations of traditional coastal monitoring methods, such as GPS equipment, quadbikes, and drones, which require human operators and have scope and cost constraints. These advanced techniques have been tested to automatically monitor shoreline positions in a few specific countries but can be applied globally. In addition, the code used for this process has been made publicly available, democratizing access to these insights.
Coastal zone management is another important area for the application of BlueTech. For a long time, coastal resilience was about building sea walls, elevating homes and renourishing beaches to protect people and property against storm surge. Then came satellites, the cloud and a new generation of tech entrepreneurs with bold ideas for tackling a new and urgent challenge: rapidly rising sea levels and increasingly destructive storms. As a result, new technologies are emerging that facilitate more rapid acquisition of more accurate data and improves data visualization to support efforts to build coastal resilience. Coastal resilience is a top priority considering valuable natural resources and other assets are vulnerable to rising sea levels, escalating storm events and other environmental hazards. CORVI is a decision support tool for leaders who need to make smart climate investments to improve the safety and security of coastal cities. Currently operating in eight coastal cities around the world, CORVI organizes data and information across the land and seascape to provide decision makers with the complete risk picture they need to take action.
Nature-based solutions, such as floating wetlands , are also being implemented to absorb pollution, create more green space, and build resilience in coastal areas.
Explore a range of marine spatial planning data resources in the interactive catalog below.
In addition to aspects of fish, pollution, and seascape management, the Blue Economy comprises several oceanic sectors including marine living resources, marine non-living resources, marine renewable energy, port activities, shipbuilding and repair, maritime transport and coastal tourism.
Underwater farming is an innovative agricultural technology offering alternative solutions for growing plants in challenging environmental conditions. The Nemo's Garden project, located off the north-western coast of Italy, utilizes air-filled, transparent plastic pods that are anchored to the sea bed. This innovative approach has made underwater farming a viable agricultural option. Kelpwatch.org uses advanced technologies such as machine learning and remote sensing science to create an interactive map of the kelp forest canopy that is the most comprehensive available. Vertical floating farms are a unique and innovative way to produce food while providing environmental benefits. Cellular aquaculture has the potential to offer an alternative to traditional seafood by producing lab-grown seafood. Agriculture is being revolutionized by these technological breakthroughs, which collectively promise sustainable and efficient options for future food production.
Marine energy technologies, utilizing resources such as waves, tidal, and thermal gradients, offer a versatile and potentially powerful solution for the escalating energy demands of the Blue Economy, particularly in regions with limited land and high property costs. Despite the challenges of incomplete data and predominant focus on utility-scale power generation, these technologies can be harnessed offshore to free valuable land space for other essential needs. The U.S. Department of Energy's Water Power Technologies Office acknowledges the role of marine energy in powering coastal and maritime markets; however, more stakeholder collaboration, policy adjustments, and funding are needed to spur innovation in this sector. Moreover, these technologies hold significant potential for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and coastal areas, where energy challenges are unique, such as supply security and access to clean, affordable energy. Although hurdles exist, including investor uncertainty and regulatory barriers, the successful integration of ocean energy technologies can contribute to local community development, emergency power supplies, and the fostering of a local supply chain, thus building a symbiotic relationship between the economy and energy sectors.
The maritime industry is embracing a sustainable ocean economy, focusing on smart technology, unmanned ships, and eco-friendly shipping. Autonomous ships are promising but face unpredictable regulations, piracy, cyber threats, and a need for more skilled personnel. Over 1,000 Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) are operational worldwide, with autonomous navigation and control system innovations from companies like Sea Machines Robotics and Shone Automation. These vessels are proving their potential in congested ports and seaways, with successful applications in projects such as the Flemish Smart Shipping program and the RoBoat project in Amsterdam. However, for innovations like blockchain and IoT to fully benefit maritime transport, challenges like immaturity, lack of regulation, and security issues must be addressed. Furthermore, as the industry transforms, traditional maritime roles are being replaced with those requiring skills in systems engineering, programming, and data analysis. Still, autonomous ships, like the AI and solar-powered Mayflower Autonomous Ship (MAS), demonstrate their value beyond transport by conducting vital research on global warming, ocean plastic pollution, and marine mammal conservation.
Drones are currently utilized to survey and inspect hazardous substances in remote marine and coastal areas.. Moreover, these hydrogen-powered drones can operate for up to two hours, enabling them to safely venture up to 35 km from the shore. Additionally, these drones transmit real-time video footage to a control center through LTE communication.
Climate adaptation and mitigation are areas in which BlueTech can provide opportunities to efficiently and effectively contribute to increasing resiliency of natural and human systems. The changes in precipitation – both in terms of timing and quantity – that are expected with climate change will require greater adaptation measures by communities and forecasting of impending storm events. One example of technology that can assist in this regard is the GeoGLOWS early warning system to mitigate both flood and drought risk through forecasting streamflows (see
Qiao et al 2019).
Coral reefs are under threat of bleaching and disease due to rising temperatures. 3D printed coral reefs are another emerging technology with important implications for the Blue Economy. These coral reefs can be generated on 3D printers to advance reef restoration, and reefs are critical elements in slowing waves down to mitigate storm surge impacts in coastal areas. These reefs also provide important biodiversity benefits in providing habitat to oceanic species.
Blue carbon is an important form of climate mitigation, particularly from mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrass meadows that build up organically rich soils that can frequently extend to great depths below the surface and offer long-term storage of organic carbon (C). These habitats, known as "blue carbon" ecosystems (BCE), make up just a small portion of the world's oceans (around 0.2%), yet they significantly contribute to the burial of marine sediment organic carbon (Duarte et al., 2013). Mangroves are particularly interesting because they retain and isolate relatively large amounts of carbon in both biomass and soils (Donato et al., 2011; Ezcurra et al., 2016; Almahasheer et al., 2017; Kauffman et al., 2017). According to Donato et al. (2011), mangroves may store up to five times as much organic carbon as tropical highland forests. Chatting et al (2022) provide a recent analysis of mangrove carbon storage considering climate change and deforestation. There have been successful demonstrations of the use of drones to plant mangrove seedlings and this could help with quickly scaling-up such efforts in large areas.
Demand for blue carbon , or the carbon collected and stored by marine ecosystems, is rising very quickly. The Principles and Guidance surrounding this endeavour work to direct this demand in a transparent and fair direction toward outcomes that are optimal for people, nature, and the climate.
The "High-Quality Blue Carbon Principles and Guidance," a groundbreaking blue carbon framework to direct the creation and acquisition of high-quality blue carbon projects and credits, was unveiled at COP27 by a worldwide coalition of ocean leaders. Salesforce, Conservation International, The Nature Conservancy, the Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance (ORRAA), the Friends of Ocean Action/Ocean Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum, and the Meridian Institute worked together to design the framework.
For credit buyers, investors, suppliers, and project developers, the High-Quality Blue Carbon Principles and Guidance aims to offer a uniform and widely recognized foundation for blue carbon credits. Building trust and momentum around creating and financing blue carbon projects may start with this unified vision for excellence. The following five guiding concepts are equally important to each other: Utilize the most up-to-date information and carbon accounting rules; act locally and contextually; and mobilize capital of high integrity.
There are many strands of work required to create an enabling framework to effectively harness the power of BlueTech and manage evolving risks. These include a focus on the intertwined 3Is – Information, Institutions, and Investments. This can both help governments embrace e-government approaches at all levels to stimulate and effectively regulate the Blue Economy, academia and researchers to contribute cutting-edge contributions to the data value chain, help private sector to provide affordable data/analytics and knowledge/learning insights as services, and CSOs and community organizations stimulate local learning, modernization, and facilitate Blue jobs.
There is much to be done to create an enabling framework for data, analytics, and knowledge. This includes embracing interoperable data service standards, open data frameworks, and harnessing the power of cloud analytics for big data that can help revolutionize BlueTech within and across countries. Cutting-edge AI is being mainstreamed into these analytics and can help transform the Blue Economy but also bring in many other challenges. There is a need for improved awareness of technology advances among policymakers and entrepreneurs across the globe to learn evolving global good practices.
An institutional framework for the development of BlueTech for the Blue Economy will help the effective application of technology for positive development outcomes. This may include strong national, regional, and global organizations with adequate capacity to effectively leverage global good practices in using BlueTech, including to manage its associated risks (e.g. privacy, cybersecurity, affordability, bridging digital divides, obsolescence of investments and skills). Improved private sector focus on BlueTech both at all scales (startups, SMEs, and large enterprises) and facilitation networks (e.g. FabLabs, BlueTech incubators, innovation clusters) can create hubs for new BlueTech ecosystems and bundled services. It is important to ensure continuous learning to enable countries and institutions to build on each other’s work to make sure even the poorest segments of society benefit from these BlueTech innovations.
Scaling-up and accelerating the impact of BlueTech will require significant investment globally (including in the poorest parts of the world) in order to create jobs and contribute to sustainable economic growth. These investments will need to come from both public and especially private sector and can take the form of direct financing (e.g. of smart ports, monitoring systems, and other hardware and related institutional infrastructure and capacity development), de-risking (e.g. partial risk gurarantees), Blue Bonds , BlueTech incubators/accelerators and crowdfunding. In particular, BlueTech incubators enable startups and organizations to have access to resources and sponsors, and to pilot and scale up business models that use innovative technologies for products and services to facilitate the sustainable management of oceans, marine ecosystems, and coastal resources.
In order to effectively benefit from the opportunities that BlueTech offers, as well as better manage the risks, it is critical that countries and BlueTech related institutions become more aware of the early experiences with the use of many of these technologies and improve they way they manage their information, institutions, and investments in this regard.