Transforming Blue Food Security and Governance with Scalable Innovations in Ocean Genomics and AI

Coral reefs support nearly one-third of global marine fish biodiversity and sustain the food security and livelihoods of more than 275 million people worldwide. Yet reefs in East and West Africa are being depleted at alarming rates by illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, with sharks and other apex predators among the most heavily targeted species. Current monitoring systems cannot reliably determine which species are being harvested illegally or where fishing occurs, limiting enforcement and accelerating biodiversity loss.

This project addresses that critical gap by integrating genomic and computational traceability tools into fisheries monitoring systems in East Africa to identify illegally harvested species and trace catches back to source ecosystems. Designed for practical use at ports and landing sites, the framework provides fisheries authorities with rapid, cost-effective, and legally defensible evidence to strengthen inspections, prosecutions, and compliance. Co-developed with regional governments, intergovernmental agencies, and international partners, the project supports science-based fisheries governance while advancing ecological resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and long-term ocean conservation.