SEA.AI has been awarded a public tender by the Ministerio para la Transición Ecológica y el Reto Demográfico (MITECO), Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge, to supply AI-powered maritime machine vision systems to support marine research, conservation, and maritime safety.

The contract, secured in collaboration with SEA.AI’s regional partner, TMS Maritime Solutions, includes the delivery of seven SEA.AI systems for deployment across a range of vessels and operational environments.

The initiative will improve the detection and monitoring of marine mammals, particularly whales, while enabling broader evaluation of advanced sensing technologies in real-world conditions.

Scientists and authorities are working to better understand their behavior, which poses risks to both vessels and threatened populations. By combining optical and thermal imaging with artificial intelligence, SEA.AI systems enable continuous, real-time detection and classification of objects and marine life.

Beyond marine mammal detection, AI-powered machine vision has broad applications in enhancing safety at sea for recreational boats and commercial vessels. SEA.AI technology improves situational awareness for crews, helping to reduce the risk of collisions and supporting critical safety applications such as person-overboard detection.

“This project comes at a critical moment, as interactions between vessels and marine mammals are becoming both more visible and more complex,” said Esteban Campos, Sales Manager at SEA.AI. “Crews need the ability to detect and react to avoid collisions, even in low visibility or at night. That’s exactly where AI-powered machine vision can make a difference.”

The project was made possible through SEA.AI’s collaboration with TMS Maritime Solutions, whose regional expertise and support were instrumental in securing and implementing the tender.

“At TMS Maritime Solutions, we enthusiastically spearhead this strategic collaboration alongside SEA.AI. We recognize a growing sophistication in the demand for intelligent technologies that harmonize marine ecosystem preservation with peak navigational safety. We are proud to be the driving force behind the deployment of this disruptive innovation in Spain, reaffirming our commitment to technological excellence and industry sustainability.” — Sònia Compte, CEO of TMS Maritime Solutions.