AROBS Transilvania Software development > Blog > Technology for Marine Conservation: An Introduction, Part 1

Technology for Marine Conservation: An Introduction, Part 1

The maritime industry is located at the crossroads of commitment toward marine conservation and technological improvement.. As the industry pulls in two directions, decarbonisation is one of the economic drivers, and the protection of the seas is equally emerging. Specialists in software development for embedded systems play a crucial role in helping the industry preserve the environment.

It is crucial to note the significance of our ocean health to biodiversity, climate change and the global economy, as oceans carry 90% of world trade. In the case of businesses operating in the marine sector, being on the cutting edge of technology is not only meant for meeting regulations but instead being proactive and developing innovations that drive renewable practice and efficiency.

Positive Growth in Global Trade

Overall, global trade observed recoveries in early 2024 with growing exports from China (9%), India (7%) and the U.S.A (3%), as UCNTAD reported. However, the growth was not uniform in the regions as Europe recorded stagnation while Africa registered a 5% fall in export performance. Since the maritime industry is at the core of these trade flows, especially in the movement of goods over oceans, the industry has to change these trends and adopt emerging technologies to improve performance.

UNCTAD’s report also projects that this growth will contribute an additional $250 billion to trade in goods and $100 billion to services trade in the first half of 2024.

The Environmental Imperative for Marine Conservation

About 3% of the total greenhouse gas emissions come from the maritime industry; the emissions have increased by 20% over the last decade. The UNCTAD’s Review of Maritime Transport 2023 elaborates that if left unabated, emissions would reach as high as 130% of 2008 levels by 2050. This poses a clear threat towards marine conservation, but it also gives a chance to innovative companies to invest in solutions that cause less harm to the environment and marine ecosystems.

Technological advancements, such as the uptake of alternative fuels or the addition of advanced marine electronics, have to be one of the strategies that will help minimise the sector’s effects on the environment. It is worth mentioning that switching to greener energy is still in the infancy stage; with 98.8% of the fleet powered with fossil fuel, 21 % of vessels that are in new orders will be able to run on cleaner fuels such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and using hybrid modes. For the players in the maritime industry, such changes present a renaissance opportunity to drive the industry’s sustainability agenda.

The Role of Technology in Marine Conservation

In the context of the maritime industry, technology is not an auxiliary asset to increase efficiency within the sector. Since pollution has become an ever-important issue in this business, technology remedies it. Modern multi-functional navigators like planetary systems for monitoring the oceans improve methods of ocean health management. Such units that include radar, sonar, and cameras allow the 24/7 tracking of shipping routes and marine environments. This capability is crucial for detecting and mitigating threats such as illegal fishing and pollution, which pose significant risks to marine ecosystems and marine conservation.

In the next part of this series, we will discuss technologies that could help bring the maritime industry closer to its conservation goals. This will include a deeper dive into emerging innovations.

Our Expertise in Marine Engineering

At AROBS Engineering, we focus on designing and implementing high-performance embedded systems and marine systems that empower our clients in the maritime market to remain competitive. Having over 15 years of experience in the industry, we managed to operate with the most important players in the marine business, establishing ourselves as an excellent partner for those who wish to innovate and prosper in the marine industry.

The range of capabilities includes developing multi-functional navigation systems based on integrating marine electronics, including radars, sonars, audio and mechanical systems of autopilots. We also design and implement an interface based on the QT QML framework that ensures our systems are robust yet simple for the end user. Every system and product we design fully adhere to the respective industries’ quality assurance principles and validation.