[I'MTech] Smarter models of the ocean

More than 70 % of the surface area of our planet is occupied by oceans and seas. They make up a colossal system that we know little about. The TARA expedition discovered hundreds of millions of previously unknown species of plankton, as our ability to explore the ocean floor remains limited. This is also the case with observing physical phenomena such as the dynamics of ocean currents for example, on the surface or at depth.

And yet, understanding ocean dynamics is essential for a good understanding of ecological aspects, biodiversity and ecosystems. But unlike the atmosphere, which can be observed directly, it is difficult to study the ocean. Space technologies offer some visibility of the ocean surface, including surface currents and winds, but can see nothing below. In addition, orbiting satellites capture images as they pass over certain areas but cannot provide instantaneous observation of the entire globe, and the presence of clouds can obscure the visibility of the oceans. As for beacons and buoys, some of these recover information up to 2,000 meters deep, but this remains very occasional.

Using AI to see the unknown

“No observation system can provide a high-resolution image of the oceans all around the globe, everywhere and all the time,” says Ronan Fablet, signal and communications researcher at IMT Atlantique. “And even decades from now I don’t think that will be possible, if we use only physical observations.” The solution is artificial intelligence: AI could make it possible to optimize observation systems and reconstruct missing data based on the observed data.