How AWS, The Ocean Cleanup, and artificial intelligence are finding ocean plastic

Amazon Web Services (AWS) is working with The Ocean Cleanup to help remove ocean plastic faster with artificial intelligence and cloud computing.

The Ocean Cleanup, a Netherlands-based nonprofit, is on a mission to get rid of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch of plastic and remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040—and Amazon is helping.   

The Ocean Cleanup is working to protect marine life and ecosystems while preventing plastic from disintegrating and entering the food chain. An estimated 220 million pounds of plastic drifts in the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, enough plastic to fill 50 Amazon fulfillment centers. Our technology is helping enhance the nonprofit’s ability to locate and remove plastic more efficiently and effectively.

AWS is providing artificial intelligence (AI) technology to support the organization’s efforts by predicting and tracking plastic accumulation patterns and processing this critical data in near real time. The collaboration, announced in July, brings AI, machine learning, and cloud computing capabilities to accelerate The Ocean Cleanup's efforts to clean up the ocean. Our work together demonstrates how AWS technology doesn’t just solve business challenges—it tackles planet-wide problems. 

Our collaboration with The Ocean Cleanup includes:

• Teaching AI to spot plastic by giving our technology a keen eye for finding debris in the ocean’s vast expanse
• Predicting debris movement patterns to show cleanup teams where to look for plastic
• Optimizing cleanup operations by guiding teams to the most impactful locations
• Protecting marine ecosystems by using AI to help keep ocean life safe during cleanup efforts

The tech behind the mission includes:

• Advanced machine learning models that analyze data from satellites, drones, and sensors to map plastic distribution
• Satellite and edge computing, drones, and ruggedized flotation devices that track plastic movement in near real time
• High-performance computing that transforms vast amounts of data into precise navigation routes
• New AI-driven technologies that will help The Ocean Cleanup further improve its marine life detection systems

"With AWS's technology, we can then better locate plastic hotspots, optimize our cleanup operations, and ensure we're protecting marine ecosystems while removing harmful plastic debris to achieve our ultimate goal of a 90% reduction in global ocean plastic pollution," said Boyan Slat, CEO and founder of The Ocean Cleanup.

The Ocean Cleanup has already removed 64 million pounds of marine trash. Our AI and cloud capabilities will enhance the organization’s ability to detect, track, and remove ocean plastic—accelerating its mission.

"This collaboration demonstrates how advanced cloud computing and AI can serve as powerful tools for environmental stewardship,” said Dr. Werner Vogels, Amazon’s chief technology officer. “Creating a blueprint for how technology can address critical environmental challenges across the globe."

All photos courtesy of The Ocean Cleanup.

This story first published on A to Z News.

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