The Unsung Hero of the Ocean Floor
Seagrass is often overlooked as a crucial component of marine ecosystems. However, this underwater plant plays a vital role in supporting an array of plants and fish, filtering ocean water, and capturing significant amounts of carbon. Unfortunately, seagrass meadows are dwindling at an alarming rate, with global reductions reaching 7% annually.
Enter Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering
Ulysses is a startup that aims to restore seagrass meadows using cutting-edge technology. The company’s autonomous robot can be loaded with seeds and programmed to plant them in specific areas of the ocean floor, significantly speeding up the restoration process by 100 times compared to manual planting.
The Founding Story
Akhil Voorakkara, co-founder and CEO at Ulysses, shared the story of how the company came about. "It all started when I met Jamie Wedderburn, our CTO, on a surf trip in Scotland," Voorakkara said. "He mentioned his recent volunteering experience planting seagrass, which was a painful and ultimately unsuccessful endeavor due to harsh weather conditions." This sparked a curiosity in both Voorakkara and Wedderburn, who delved into the importance of seagrass and its role in marine ecosystems.
The Birth of Ulysses
Voorakkara and Wedderburn pitched their idea to co-founders Colm O’Brien and Will O’Brien. "I knew it would be fun immediately," Will O’Brien said. "Also, getting the opportunity to build a mission-driven company that works primarily in the oceans, focusing on nature and biodiversity, was extremely compelling to me."
From Concept to Reality
The team decided to pursue seagrass restoration using autonomous robots due to their expertise in robotics. They built a 3D prototype, which, although rough, demonstrated the potential for efficient and effective planting.
Competing with Terradepth and Eelume
Other companies, such as Terradepth and Eelume, are also working on underwater robots, but Ulysses is focused on seagrass restoration. "In five years, we don’t want to just be doing seagrass restoration," Voorakkara said. "We want to be managing hundreds of kilometers of coastline, supercharging groups like NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard in a much more efficient manner."
The Vision for the Future
Ulysses’ ultimate goal is to make significant contributions to ocean conservation by leveraging technology to speed up restoration processes. With their innovative approach and commitment to protecting marine ecosystems, they aim to create a lasting impact on our planet’s delicate balance.
