Sahaj Software, a multinational artisanal technology services company has partnered with Citizens of Great Barrier Reef, a people-powered conservation organization, to develop the technology and software infrastructure necessary to enable the Great Reef Census. The initiative is one of the world’s largest marine citizen science initiatives and aims to fill critical data gaps about the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest marine ecosystem, and mobilize citizens and technology partners to collaborate and provide data to scientists as well as reef managers who can then work together to protect the reef.
Stretching over 2000 km and home to a quarter of the world’s marine species, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a global treasure and a critical marine ecosystem that is under threat due to climate change, pollution, and other environmental factors. To address the urgent need to fill critical data gaps, the Citizens of Great Barrier Reef launched a global Great Reef Census campaign, with the aim of comprehensively analyzing images of the reef. To ensure the campaign’s success, it is vital to mobilize citizens and technology partners to work together and best harness the eyes of those wanting to help protect the reef.
Speaking on the partnership, Andy Ridley, CEO, of Citizens of Great Barrier Reef said, “The Great Barrier Reef is not just an environmental icon, it is also an emotional one. What we do here reflects how we treat our oceans and marine life around the world. We rely on Sahaj to rationalize the process and utilize technology in the best possible way. The urgency to create conservation solutions cannot be overstated, and the future of the Great Barrier Reef will be defined by the actions we take.”
To simplify the analysis, interface, and data extraction for the Great Reef Census, Sahaj came in as a partner with software and data engineering expertise to develop the engineering and data platform. As part of the core delivery team, in partnership with Citizens GBR, we enabled the launch of the new analysis platform at greatreefcensus.org that allows citizen scientists to provide more data to marine scientists on coral types and cover across the reef. The platform also leveraged deep learning (AI) capabilities from Dell Technologies. Currently, India has the third largest share of citizen scientists who contribute to the analysis platform, behind only the USA and Australia.
The technology solution from Sahaj engages with citizens while providing valuable intelligence to the scientific and conservation community, enabling citizen scientists to play a vital role in protecting and revitalizing the Reef.
Anand Iyengar, Managing Director, Sahaj Software, commented, “Protecting the Great Barrier Reef is a critical mission that demands immediate action. Our partnership with Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef is a testament to the power of collaboration and tech innovation to drive meaningful change. We hope that our partnership inspires others to join us in this vital mission to safeguard our planet’s biodiversity for future generations.”
On the partnership, Akash Agrawal, Co-Founder and CEO, of Sahaj Software said, “At Sahaj, we are deeply committed to making a difference with software. We strive to be an active part of initiatives that have a lasting impact on the world. We are grateful for the opportunity to be involved in this monumental initiative and contribute towards the protection of such an important ecosystem.”
As the Great Barrier Reef faces an existential threat, it is crucial that we act now to protect it. The partnership between Sahaj Software and Citizens of Great Barrier Reef aims to conserve the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral ecosystem. We believe that this partnership is a testament to the spirit of collaboration and innovation, and we hope that it inspires others to join the fight to save our planet.
Founded in the year 2014, on the idea of reducing exploitation, Sahaj Software strives to be fair to people both inside and outside the organization as we do our business. Sahaj strives for creativity and simplicity in order to create and deliver technology-based solutions that provide its customers with a competitive advantage. At Sahaj, the emphasis is on craft, as the company creates purpose-built solutions with a razor-sharp focus to solve business and technology problems.
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef is a 21st-century conservation organization working across the Great Barrier Reef. Combining leading science with meaningful citizen action and digital innovation, the organization’s mission is to drive people-powered reef conservation that can be scaled up to meet the escalating threats facing coral reefs around the world. The Citizens team brings a diverse range of expertise, from those that have been connected to the reef for thousands of years, and those across the world who have a collective passion to conserve and protect this iconic natural wonder for future generations.
