Jun 7, 2018, 12:35 PM ET

Can technology save the rarest creatures on the planet?

Douglas Macaulay aims to establish additional marine protected areas as a primary strategy to prevent the extinction of thousands of marine species, including the giant sea bass, by using data from baited underwater cameras to validate new zones.
Current operational plans involve mapping giant sea bass migration patterns and deploying tracking technology to generate raw data for effective species management, with the hope of replicating the success of previous GPS projects for sharks in a "Facebook for fish" initiative.
Future strategies rely on increased collaboration between fishery experts and computer scientists to leverage technology as a foundational tool for ensuring ocean health over century-long and millennial timescales.
Long-term expectations include the potential for advanced technology to enable deeper and farther fishing operations while providing sufficient scientific insight to manage environmental threats more effectively than in the past.
Risks and uncertainties remain regarding the immediate success of image capture during current expeditions and the eventual population distribution of giant sea bass in other ocean regions, which dictates the viability of expanding protected areas.