Tidal
Protecting the ocean while feeding humanity sustainably
Tidal is an independent company pioneering underwater AI to make ocean-based industries more sustainable. While at X, the team developed its underwater vision and robotics technology. Today the team is working with partners globally to enable a more sustainable seafood industry and protect the ocean for future generations.
Oceans In Crisis
The ocean covers over 70% of our planet, and supports billions of people—providing oxygen, food, and livelihoods. Yet, human activity is pushing the ocean past its breaking point. Pollution, rapid acidification, and unsustainable fish farming practices are destabilizing oceanic ecosystems, from tropical reefs to the Arctic, triggering a chain reaction that threatens both aquatic and human life.
The ocean is the world’s largest carbon sink and provides food security for 3 billion people through nutritious low-carbon sources of protein like fish, shellfish, and sea vegetables.
Fish provide a vital source of animal protein for half of the global population, yet nearly 90% of the world’s fisheries are depleted—even as demand for seafood climbs. By 2050, the global population is projected to reach 10 billion, signaling an urgent need for sustainable food solutions that don’t further harm the ocean.
New Tools for Sustainable Fish Farming
Tidal started as a small team looking to address climate change and the global food crisis. Most fish farmers lack real-time, reliable information about the health of their fish or their environment, leading to issues like disease outbreak and pollution from uneaten food. This information gap is costly for both the farmers and the environment.
The team saw an opportunity to use new sensors, cameras and AI to develop a system that would give fish farmers more insight into what is happening on their farms and help them make more sustainable decisions.
From a Kiddie Pool to the Arctic Circle
Before applying machine learning and intelligence to the underwater world, the team had to create new datasets on fish and ocean ecosystems. The first tests took place in a kiddie pool at the X lab, where realistic-looking rubber fish trained computer vision models to recognize fish underwater. Then, they created a “fish run” for live fish fitted with cameras so the team could learn about all aspects of fish appearance and behavior.
Behind the scenes: Creating the Tidal “fish run”
As the system evolved, the team tested several prototypes at Norwegian fish farms, from arctic fjords to the open North Sea. They tested environmental conditions like temperature, currents, and the power of waves to better understand fish environments.
The team decided to focus on creating technology to improve feeding methods, monitor fish health, spot pests, and reduce waste by providing insight into what is happening underwater. They ultimately developed an underwater vision and robotics system that continuously monitors fish underwater while surviving rough oceanic conditions like frigid temperatures, salt water, and strong currents.
Tidal's underwater vision technology can detect and interpret fish behaviors (such as feeding) and model fish behaviors over time—all of which can help fish farmers make better, more environmentally-friendly decisions about fish feeding, welfare, and health.
The Tidal platform continuously tracks fish growth and health, monitors environmental factors like temperature and oxygen levels, and interprets fish behaviors to automate feeding and minimize waste—empowering fish farmers to prioritize more sustainable farming practices.
The Tidal System
Continuously collecting and interpreting images of fish helps farmers understand how the fish are growing, identify disease, and monitor behaviors like feeding. The camera can rotate 360 degrees to capture a complete picture of what’s happening underwater. Machine learning makes it easy to quickly process and interpret images in remote locations.
Collecting a mix of environmental data like temperature and salinity helps identify patterns between fish health and the environment.
Tidal Today
In 2024, Tidal became an independent company with outside funding led by Perry Creek Capital. It has deployed hundreds of systems across Norwegian fish farms, monitoring the health and feeding of millions of fish each day, and has expanded globally. The team is focused on commercializing the aquaculture platform they developed at X. Long term, Tidal aims to reduce barriers to ocean conservation, and develop new tools to decarbonize ocean-based industries—protecting the ocean for future generations.
