Harbour and Coastal Waters, UK

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Poole Harbour is one of the world’s largest natural harbours, recognised internationally as an important area for nature conservation and is designated a Special Protection Area. The harbour supports extensive wild and aquaculture shellfish beds, and good water quality is vitally important.

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Damaging nutrients flowing into the harbour have a negative impact on water quality, causing eutrophication and build-up of algae. The harbour authorities needed a way to monitor water quality, particularly nitrates, phosphates and e-coli. They held a competition to identify a real-time water quality measuring system to sit alongside existing, lab-based systems and reduce the man hours required. This would also act as an early warning system. The Environment Agency also has an interest in monitoring recreational and bathing sites.

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UnifAI won the competition and has deployed a number of small low-cost, wireless, plug-and-play, fit-and-forget sensors on existing harbour infrastructure such as navigation buoys. These are powered by UnifAI’s proprietary artificial intelligence.

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This project is being undertaken in association with Poole Harbour Commissioners, the Environment Agency, Digital Catapult’s Things Connected Bournemouth, Southern IFCA and Barclays Eagle Labs.

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