New Technology Infrastructure Streamlines AI-Powered Coral Research

In-kind support from Dell Technologies aims to make computing more environmentally sustainable

People standing in front of a digital coral reef image — The Eliza and Stuart Stedman Visualization Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Image credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego.

Story by:

Lauren Fimbres Wood - lmwood@ucsd.edu

November 05, 2025

Story by:

Lauren Fimbres Wood - lmwood@ucsd.edu

As artificial intelligence powers more scientific research, science teams are managing considerations of the environmental impact of this expanding computing power. A new in-kind gift from Dell Technologies is enabling a team of coral reef researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego to increase the environmental sustainability of their AI-powered research.

The Sandin Lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography researches coral reef ecology, visiting coral reefs around the world to take high-resolution images of reefs to document how marine ecosystems are faring. Millions of underwater images are then converted into 3D models to assess the health of coral reefs. While reefs are being degraded from overfishing, pollution and climate change, the lab is finding that a growing number of marine ecosystems are showing trends of stability or resilience. This promising finding is associated with effective engagement of local communities working to manage the natural resources in their coastal ecosystems.

Researchers look at coral reef images — The Sandin Lab researches coral reef ecology, visiting coral reefs around the world to take high-resolution images of reefs to document how marine ecosystems are faring. Lab members McClaran Shirley (left) and Nicole Pedersen examine a digital model of a coral reef in the new Eliza and Stuart Stedman Visualization Lab powered by Dell Technologies. Image credit: Erik Jepsen/UC San Diego.

“Image-based mapping is improving the monitoring, research and stewardship of coral reefs worldwide,” said Stuart Sandin, director of the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Scripps. “But with around 350 gigabytes of images collected per dive and the team completing anywhere between 300 to 400 dives a year, processing these images requires significant computing and storage. This is a big challenge and a big opportunity for innovation.”

Now, a significant in-kind donation of equipment and technical support from Dell Technologies has helped the Sandin Lab upgrade its legacy data center and computing cluster with the aim of bringing environmental sustainability to the research effort.

For Dell, the effort represents a pilot program called Concept Astro that uses AI to identify the best times and locations to run computing workloads based on cost, speed and emissions or a combination of all. This enables the team to schedule workloads during optimum energy windows, reducing strain on the grid without disrupting research continuity.

“Concept Astro uses AI, digital twins and automation to improve IT operations and energy consumption,” said Alyson Freeman, customer efficiency innovation lead at Dell. “It allows Dell to simulate workloads to identify ways to use data center power more effectively. This pilot with Scripps has been a critical collaboration in advancing innovation in AI workloads and efficient energy management.”

In initial analysis of the new computing cluster, the Sandin Lab tracked an energy cost savings of 20% and lower emissions by 32%. In addition, the new equipment has enabled the team to process twice as many images in the same amount of time.

Additionally, the support from Dell is bringing computing power to a new visualization lab in the Ted and Jean Scripps Marine Conservation and Technology Facility. The visualization center creates a platform to present visually-engaging data and scientific analysis, such as the vast image assets gathered from the coral reef program or the study of mangrove ecosystems and their ability to sequester carbon. The Eliza and Stuart Stedman Visualization Lab will also utilize Dell Technologies equipment.

“We are grateful for this collaboration, which is giving us new tools to scale efficiency and improve the carbon footprint of our coral research,” said Sandin. “And with the new visualization lab, we can share the imagery from this research to reach a broader audience of community partners working to learn from and to protect our ocean ecosystems.”

For more information on how to support global biodiversity and conservation research, education and technology, contact the Scripps Development Office at supportscripps@ucsd.edu.