Cork man making waves with drone start-up to restore seagrass
While Meadows Seagrass Marine It Threatened Species, Is Certain The Much Of Of Lost Being Are Or Instrumental For Survival
A Cork man and his team have been making waves internationally — including a nomination for Prince William's prestigious Earthshot Prize — with their marine drone start-up which aims to restore seagrass eco systems.
UCD graduate Will O’Brien, who hails from Ballincollig, along with engineer Colm O’Brien from Meath, Akhil Voorakkara and Jamie Wedderburn, form part of Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering, which was founded in 2023.
Based in San-Francisco, Ulysses’ goal is to restore ocean seagrass across the world to absorb carbon. Will O’Brien said this could be achieved up to 35 times more effectively than a rainforest on dry land.
The initiative uses drones to replant seagrass from healthy donor meadows in areas where it has been lost. Growth can then be monitored in these areas on an ongoing basis.
Ocean biodiversity is declining, with the world’s fisheries on track to collapse by 2048. Three billion people rely on the ocean as their primary source of protein and income. Despite humanity’s best efforts and $8bn in annual spending on ocean conservation, the situation continues to decline.
While seagrass meadows are instrumental for the survival of certain marine species, much of it is being lost or threatened. Some 10 species now face becoming extinct following a 29% decrease in seagrass since the mid-1700s. This accounts for a distance of 51,000sq m.
Ulysses has joined forced with the nature conservancy governments in Florida and Australia as part of a number of intensive ecosystem restoration projects. It is currently working on an initiative in Western Australia, which is expected to be the largest of its kind in the world.
Mr O’Brien said while he was grateful the initiative was giving him a chance to see the world, his love for the sea all started in Cork.
"Nature and the outdoors have always been a passion of mine and I loved animals, having worked as a vet when I was young. My passions were animals and looking after the world.”
He explained how it all began.
“I was talking to a friend about starting this business and it came up that this idea could be a runner. It was really exciting to think that we could use technology for the good of the climate, for the good of nature and in the marine realm.
"I knew I had to give it a go. I was marrying my interests in science and technology with nature and wildlife. Seagrass is this wonder plant that very few people know about. It’s just so critical. It also cleans the ocean. If we can make it really cheap and easy to bring back to these eco systems around the world then that would be a good mission achieved.”
Mr O'Brien is excited about the future.
“The ocean is truly a wonderous world. I think the most rewarding part is getting to work with really smart people and getting to talk to people on the frontline. It’s a very interesting place to be. I’ve never really worked in a nine to five job before because I’ve always been in start-ups. If I was in a job that was lacking in purpose I think I would find that very difficult.”
He outlined their professional ambitions adding:
“We wanted to have a network of buoys and drones on coastlines to curb pollution or dumping. Our hope is to create a critical infrastructure for the ocean with the goal of looking after coastlines and understand the health of these ecosystems. The plan is to go beyond what we’ve done so we can make the ocean safer.”