Can Google Save Australia's Dying Reefs With AI Mapping?

Australia’s Great Southern Reef is one of the most diverse and vibrant marine ecosystems in the world.

In total, the reef covers more than 71,000km² and spans five Australian states to the south of the island.

However, like so many of the world's marine habitats, the Great Southern Reef is now classified as being under severe threat as a result of pollution, water acidity, physical degradation and diminishing levels of biodiversity. 

Once, the reef was blanketed in giant kelp forests, which helped to home and feed local marine fauna while also acting as a huge natural carbon sink.

In recent years, large stretches of this underwater habitat have vanished thanks to the acceleration of climate change.

There is hope for these habitats, though, with tech giant Google ready to offer its services to aid the restoration of the reef.

Alongside a varied coalition of partners, Google plans to bring expertise in AI, research and conservation to this problem, in an effort to tackle the loss of kelp head on.

If successful, the project could have a huge impact on biodiversity, carbon sequestration and Australia's ocean economy.

“Kelp is unlike any other organism on earth,” Kate Brandt, Chief Sustainability Officer at Google, says.

“Some of these seaweed species can grow two feet per day, up to 200 feet total.

“That rapid growth means less carbon in the atmosphere and fewer pollutants in the ocean.” 

How Google plans to restore the Great Southern Reef

For this initiative, Google's plan is to use its technological prowess to locate and restore the reef's remaining kelp forests.

In partnership with CSIRO, IMAS, the Nature Conservancy, the Kelp Forest Alliance and the Great Southern Reef Foundation, Google is investing part of its US$1bn Digital Future Initiative funds to make this happen.

The plan is for Google to deploy its Google Earth engine and Vertex AI models to map around 7,000km² of the coast's kelp canopy.

In this mapping process, the project leaders hope to identify the heat-resistant strains of kelp that have managed to survive this far.

By analysing the genetic traits of these resilient strains of kelp, the scientists behind the project hope to propagate and replant kelp varieties that more likely to survive in a warming ocean elsewhere along the coast.

The tools and data generated by this initiative are being made open-source to support similar efforts globally. 

“With the help of Google AI, and the spirit of collaboration between all partners, we’re taking real steps towards restoring these vital kelp forests that previously seemed impossible,” says Professor Craig Johnson, Marine Ecologist and Director of Marine and Antarctic Futures Centre at University of Tasmania (IMAS).

How technology can facilitate sustainability

As one of the world's most formidable tech heavyweights, Google has the ability — and the responsibility — to use its technology to mitigate climate change.

In recent years, sustainability has been in sharp focus for the US-based firm, with water security being an area of special interest.

Its goal is to replenish 120% of the freshwater it uses by 2030. In support of this aim, Google invested in more than 100 water conservation projects in 2024 alone, collectively replenishing 4.5 billion gallons.

Reforesting — both on land and underwater — is another cornerstone of Google's sustainable work.

“At Google, we’re using AI to map the existing invisible forests and discover new varieties that can survive and thrive in more challenging environments,” Kate says.

“It’s just one of the ways we’re seeing AI help preserve nature.”

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