Chinese tech giant Huawei has partnered with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to promote the conservation of a marine protected area on Kenya’s south coast.

The three-year project, which was unveiled Monday, seeks to protect the ecological health of Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve, a biodiversity hotspot located on the edge of Kenya’s southern coastal county of Kwale.

Other implementing partners in the Tech4Nature project, which was launched by the IUCN in partnership with Huawei in 2021, include Kenya Wildlife Service and Wildlife Research and Training Institute, a state agency, according to a statement by Huawei issued in Kenyan capital Nairobi on Tuesday.

The project is aligned with Huawei’s TECH4ALL initiative and the IUCN Green List as its primary goal is to improve the monitoring and management efficiency of the marine protected area, which is home to pristine coral reefs as well as iconic but endangered species, like green turtles and bottlenose dolphins.

Huawei Kenya Media Director Khadija Mohammed Ahmed underscored the need to leverage technology and innovations to boost the health and resilience of marine ecosystems, threatened by climate change and human activities.

“Innovative thinking and smart solutions are already helping to mitigate some of the world’s most pressing environmental problems,” Khadija said.

The project will entail the deployment of underwater cameras, photogrammetry and audio monitoring technologies to monitor marine life, including biomass and parrot fish populations, at the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Reserve, according to Huawei.