How cutting-edge smartphone technology is transforming coral reef restoration efforts worldwide
The underwater world of coral reefs has long been one of Earth’s most vibrant yet vulnerable ecosystems. Today, innovative technology is offering new hope for these critical marine habitats, as demonstrated by Samsung’s groundbreaking documentary “Coral in Focus” which premiered at the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 in Nice, France.
The Hidden Crisis Beneath Our Oceans
Coral reefs represent one of nature’s most spectacular achievements, supporting approximately one billion people worldwide and providing habitat for 25% of all marine species. Yet these underwater rainforests face an unprecedented crisis. With ocean temperatures reaching record highs, more than 80% of the world’s coral reefs have experienced devastating mass bleaching events.
When corals bleach, they expel the colorful algae that provide them with essential nutrients, leaving behind ghostly white skeletons. This phenomenon doesn’t just rob reefs of their breathtaking beauty—it threatens the very foundation of marine biodiversity, food security, and coastal protection for millions of people.
Technology Meets Marine Conservation
Samsung Electronics has partnered with Seatrees, a marine ecosystem restoration nonprofit, and the prestigious Scripps Institution of Oceanography to pioneer an innovative approach to coral reef monitoring and restoration. Their collaboration has resulted in Ocean Mode, a specialized camera feature that transforms the Galaxy S24 Ultra into a powerful marine research tool.
How Ocean Mode Revolutionizes Underwater Photography
Traditional underwater photography faces significant challenges due to water’s natural filtration of light. Ocean Mode addresses these limitations through several key innovations:
Color Correction Technology: The feature automatically corrects the excessive blue and green tints that plague underwater photography, revealing the true colors and health indicators of coral formations.
Motion Stabilization: Advanced multi-frame processing reduces blur caused by water currents and diver movement, ensuring crystal-clear documentation of reef conditions.
Automated Capture Systems: The interval shooting capability allows researchers to capture thousands of high-quality images during a single dive, dramatically improving data collection efficiency.
3D Modeling Integration: These images can be processed using photogrammetry techniques to create detailed three-dimensional models of reef structures, enabling scientists to track changes and restoration progress over time.
Measurable Impact in Marine Restoration
The partnership between Samsung and Seatrees has already delivered impressive results across restoration sites in Fiji, Indonesia, and the United States. Over the past year, their collaborative efforts have achieved:
- Creation of 17 detailed 3D coral reef models for scientific analysis
- Planting of over 14,046 coral fragments
- Restoration of 10,705 square meters of coral reef habitat
- Validation of Galaxy devices for professional marine photogrammetry
These achievements demonstrate how consumer technology can be adapted for serious scientific applications, making advanced reef monitoring accessible to researchers worldwide.
“Coral in Focus”: Bringing Ocean Conservation to Global Audiences
Directed by award-winning filmmaker Quentin van den Bossche, “Coral in Focus” follows marine scientists, engineers, and local conservationists as they work to address the coral reef crisis. The documentary showcases how Ocean Mode technology has become an integral tool in restoration efforts.
“Ocean Mode became its own character in the documentary,” explained van den Bossche. “This helped us illustrate some of the complex, specific challenges that reef conservationists encounter. Showing the difference between photos taken with and without Ocean Mode helped ground the technology in something visual and even emotional.”
Expert Perspectives on Technology-Driven Conservation
The premiere event at Ocean House brought together leading voices in marine science and conservation technology. Dr. Daniel Wangpraseurt from Scripps Institution of Oceanography emphasized the democratizing potential of smartphone-based research tools:
“Mobile technology is a powerful way to connect communities with ecosystems they may never physically encounter but are deeply tied to through climate, biodiversity and cultural heritage. Smartphones are now capable of taking high-resolution imagery to help generate more accurate 3D models.”
Michael Stewart, co-founder of Seatrees, highlighted the practical benefits for field researchers: “Our local partners have really appreciated Ocean Mode because it has improved their ability to capture higher-quality images with Galaxy phones to make the 3D models created by the scientists at Scripps more accurate.”
Expanding the Reach of Marine Conservation
The collaboration represents a significant shift in how conservation technology is developed and deployed. By making advanced imaging capabilities available through consumer devices, Samsung is potentially placing powerful research tools in the hands of citizen scientists, local communities, and conservation organizations worldwide.
Cassie Smith, senior manager of Corporate Sustainability at Samsung Electronics America, noted: “Through our partnership with Seatrees, we saw how Galaxy technology could play a role not just in responsible sourcing but in supporting coral reef restoration. The documentary tells that story beautifully – showing what happens when like-minded partners, engineers, scientists and local communities come together with shared purpose and the right tools.”
Building on Samsung’s Ocean Health Commitment
This coral restoration initiative builds upon Samsung’s broader environmental commitments. Since 2022, the company has incorporated over 150 tonnes of recycled fishing nets into Galaxy devices, demonstrating how technology companies can address ocean plastic pollution while creating innovative products.
The Ocean Mode feature represents an evolution in this approach—moving beyond waste reduction to actively supporting marine ecosystem restoration through technological innovation.
Future Implications for Marine Research
The success of Ocean Mode suggests exciting possibilities for the future of marine conservation technology. As smartphone capabilities continue to advance, we may see increasingly sophisticated tools for environmental monitoring becoming available to researchers and conservationists worldwide.
The democratization of scientific tools through consumer technology could accelerate our understanding of marine ecosystems while making conservation efforts more accessible to communities directly impacted by reef degradation.
A Call to Action for Ocean Health
While technological innovations like Ocean Mode provide valuable tools for marine conservation, addressing the coral reef crisis ultimately requires comprehensive action on climate change. The documentary and Samsung’s partnership with Seatrees serve as powerful reminders that protecting our oceans demands collaboration across sectors—from technology companies and research institutions to local communities and individual citizens.
As we face the mounting challenges of climate change and marine ecosystem degradation, initiatives like “Coral in Focus” demonstrate how innovative partnerships can create both immediate impact and long-term hope for our planet’s most precious underwater treasures.
The premiere at the UN Ocean Conference 2025 marks not just the debut of a compelling documentary, but the introduction of a new paradigm where consumer technology becomes a force for environmental restoration and scientific discovery.