KUL07 - TheDeep: AI-Powered Navigation for Sustainable Oceans

Malaysia is facing a growing overfishing problem, and if left unchecked, fish populations may continue to decline and threaten both marine ecosystems and the livelihoods of local fishermen. At the same time, fishermen need reliable ways to find fish and maintain their income. This challenge aims to solve both issues together.  TheDeep is an AI-powered navigation system that helps fishermen make smarter and more sustainable fishing decisions. Using ocean data such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll concentration, weather conditions, and location information, the system predicts potential fish breeding grounds and marks them as protected zones on a digital map.  Rather than only telling fishermen where not to fish, TheDeep also recommends alternative fishing areas with a higher probability of finding mature fish populations. This creates a balance between conservation and productivity, helping to protect future fish stocks while supporting current fishing activities.  

Participants are encouraged to explore the use of AI, GIS, satellite data, marine datasets, predictive analytics, and user-friendly mapping tools to build an innovative solution. The final product could take the form of a web platform, mobile application, navigation dashboard, or decision-support system.  

How can we use ocean data and artificial intelligence to protect fish breeding grounds while helping fishermen fish more sustainably? That's the challenge.