Incheon City Monitors Marine Debris Using Satellite, Drone, and Sonar

Incheon City announced on the 14th that it is building a 'Smart Marine Environment Management System' that monitors waste from the coastline to the seabed using satellites, drones, and sonar (acoustic detectors).

This system periodically observes the distribution of marine waste using satellites, then detects waste on the sea surface and seabed using drones and sonar.

The collected information is analyzed by artificial intelligence at the Smart Marine Environment Management Center operated by the city and provided in real-time to related agencies such as the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and Ongjin County in Incheon.

The city expects that once this system is established, marine environment cleanup vessels and marine waste transport ships will operate along optimal routes, maximizing the efficiency of waste collection.

Civilians and government officials are collecting trash together in the waters off Incheon.
[Photo by Incheon City]

First, this year, the system will be established targeting Jawoldo Island, and from the 8th for five days, tests were conducted along the coast of Jawoldo using virtual marine waste modules to enhance the detection performance of satellites and drones.

The city plans to expand the project to other islands in Ongjin County, such as Yeongheungdo and Deokjeokdo, by 2025. After the project ends, the Smart Marine Environment Management System will be expanded throughout Incheon to contribute to the restoration of a clean marine environment.

This project, selected in the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries' '2022 Localized Carbon Neutral Ocean New Deal Contest,' will invest 7 billion KRW over four years (2022?2025) including national funds to achieve marine and coastal management and carbon neutrality.

An official from Incheon City said, "We will successfully commercialize the Smart Marine Environment Management System and return a clean Incheon coastal sea to our citizens."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.