Costa Rica Makes Available AI Technology That Enabled the Return of 36,000 Shells to Their Place of Origin

Costa Rica makes available to the scientific community the model that made possible the return of 36,000 shells to their place of origin

The open-source model emerged as part of the actions developed for the “Back Home” project, which aims to mitigate the impact caused by shell collection and restore the ecological balance on Costa Rican beaches.

Costa Rica, January 10, 2025 – To mitigate the environmental impact of massive shell extraction, FIFCO, through its Imperial brand, developed, in collaboration with the University of Costa Rica, the first artificial intelligence-based application capable of identifying the origin of seashells with just a photograph and ensuring their proper return. After successfully reintegrating more than 450 kilograms of shells and recognizing that this issue goes beyond national borders, the company announced that its model would be open-source, allowing other countries to adapt the technology to their local needs.

This tool is part of “Back Home,” a brand initiative addressing the issue of shell extraction in Costa Rica, where up to 6 tons are seized annually at airports, preventing them from fulfilling their fundamental role in marine ecosystems’ well-being. These shells could not be returned due to the risk of harming ecosystems by not knowing their exact origin. Thanks to this model, constant supervision, a rigorous cleaning process, and 200 volunteers, a significant amount of shells were successfully returned.

“This project not only reflects our commitment to sustainability but also positions Costa Rica as a global leader in technological innovation for marine conservation. Additionally, it promotes a collaborative approach that allows scaling the impact of the ‘Back Home’ project, democratizing access to technology, and facilitating the protection of marine biodiversity globally,” emphasized Maria Pía Robles, Director of Corporate Relations at FIFCO.

How does the open-source model work?

The tool is designed specifically for Costa Rica, as the model was trained with 18,500 photographs of 525 species inhabiting the country’s coasts: 278 from the Caribbean and 247 from the Pacific, with an average of 30 to 40 images per species. However, it can be modified to adapt to other species.

The scientific community in each country will be able to develop its own tool. The company is making available the trained model, its weights, architecture, and a database. With these resources, new image classification models can be developed, and more countries can train their own systems to identify marine shells.

“Creating and training this model was a challenging process, but the reward of returning over 450 kilograms of shells to our beaches was even greater. We have taken a big step, and we want to share with the world the opportunity to do the same. That is why, with the responsibility that characterizes us, we are making it available today for proper training,” stated José Pablo Murillo, FIFCO’s Connections Marketing Manager.

It is important to highlight that FIFCO emphasizes that the tool should be used alongside experts in biology, as these professionals not only validate the system’s results but also interpret the data in a broader ecological context. This ensures that actions resulting from the tool’s use, such as shell relocation, respect the natural dynamics of ecosystems.

Regarding the general public’s use of the application, Murillo added:
“We know that many people want to return the shells they have at home, and we greatly appreciate their concern. However, we ask them to hold onto them for now, as even knowing their place of origin, the cleaning and preparation process must be supervised by experts. We are working on a solution that will allow them to return their shells properly, and we hope to share more news soon.”

Raising awareness and inspiring action

The impact of the “Back Home” project goes beyond technology. The documentary of the same name, produced by Imperial in collaboration with strategic partners, aims to educate the public about the importance of marine shells and encourage responsible practices. FIFCO calls on both tourists and Costa Ricans to become ambassadors of marine biodiversity, reminding them that each shell is essential to the health of coastal ecosystems.

“At FIFCO, we believe sustainability is a shared responsibility. With this artificial intelligence tool, Costa Rica is not only solving a local problem but also offering the world an innovative and scalable solution for marine restoration and conservation,” concluded Robles.

The collaboration between FIFCO, MINAE-SINAC, AERIS, and the University of Costa Rica underscores the power of public-private partnerships in addressing complex environmental challenges. With this initiative, Costa Rica reaffirms its role as a global leader in sustainability, opening new opportunities for marine ecosystem protection worldwide.

For more information about “Back Home,” visit:
🔗 Project information: https://imperial.cr/devueltaacasa/
🔗 AI model on Hugging Face: https://huggingface.co/FIFCO/De_vuelta_a_casa

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