TEKEVER, the market leader in Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), and AltaSea, a non-profit scientific research organisation based in the Port of Los Angeles, have signed an agreement to collaborate on marine conservation projects as TEKEVER expands its environmental surveillance capabilities [in the US].
Leveraging its Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven drones, TEKEVER intends to provide aerial intelligence data regarding threats to the waters from the Port of Los Angeles to/and around the islands of San Clemente and Santa Catalina, detect whale and dolphin migrations, identify illegal fishing, and recognize potential causes of pollution over the maritime and the coastline environments.
The collaboration will also deliver an educational program for K-12 students from low socioeconomic backgrounds in the local community who will have access to TEKEVER’s state-of-the-art technology and learn about the environment. By enabling students to participate virtually in surveillance missions, TEKEVER and AltaSea hope to inspire the next generation of scientists and technology experts who will tackle climate change.
“This partnership will give students the opportunity to see with their own eyes what the drone sees, in places no human could so readily observe. We hope this experience will launch a thousand exciting careers and help to tackle climate change by protecting our oceans and marine life,” said AltaSea President/CEO Terry Tamminen.
TEKEVER CEO Ricardo Mendes added, “We are excited to deploy our environmental surveillance technology in the US for the first time to support AltaSea with marine conservation and research. Our partnership also provides a fantastic opportunity to showcase our technology to local students and inspire them to pursue careers in science, technology and sustainable development.”
The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and Italian Coast Guard are already deploying TEKEVER’s AR5 drone to monitor whale migration and merchant vessels in the Pelagos Sanctuary, a protected marine area located between Italy, Monaco and France. The collaboration with AltaSea marks the first stage of Tekever’s expansion beyond Europe and Asia where it currently operates into the US market. AltaSea will work with Tekever to discover other potential collaborations with the Port of Los Angeles, the US Coast Guard, and other entities that could benefit from Tekever’s Surveillance-as-a-Service capabilities.