SPGA Expands AI Camera Network Across Sainte Anne MNP

The Seychelles Parks and Gardens Authority (SPGA) has expanded its camera surveillance network across Sainte Anne Marine National Park, strengthening its ability to monitor nesting sea turtles and detect incidents within the Park's boundaries.

The expansion adds new AI assisted cameras at three key sites: two on Ste. Anne Island and one on Moyenne Island. These join three specialised AI cameras already active across SPGA's parks, as well as other units that have recently undergone maintenance.

The cameras use artificial intelligence to distinguish between an animal, a person, and vegetation moving in the wind, filtering out false alarms so that real events are flagged immediately. The moment something significant is detected, the feed is transmitted in real time to SPGA's EarthRanger platform, alerting rangers and park officers as it happens. Powering this real-time detection capability is Wildlife Protection Solutions (WPS), an international non-profit organisation specialising in tech-driven remote monitoring for conservation, whose AI-enabled camera network, integrates directly with EarthRanger.

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For SPGA, the benefits are twofold. On the conservation side, the cameras allow the authority to detect when wildlife such as turtles come ashore to nest, providing valuable data to support ongoing monitoring, with future software upgrades expected to allow rangers to estimate a turtle's size directly from the images. On the enforcement side, the same cameras capture clear images of individuals entering the park, giving SPGA a powerful new tool against poaching or illegal activities.

Senior Research Scientist, Gabriella Carrara said the expansion marked an important step forward for the Authority's conservation work. "This camera network is an important step in strengthening the Authority's conservation efforts. By feeding directly into our EarthRanger platform, it gives our team real-time visibility of what's happening on the ground and in our nesting sites, so we can respond faster and base our decisions on much better data," she said.

The camera expansion forms part of a broader initiative under an Agreement signed in 2025 between SPGA the Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity (SCBD), titled "Enhancing Marine Conservation through Technology in the Seychelles." The project brings together technical and scientific cooperation between SPGA, WildLandscapes International (USA), and 51 Degrees Ltd (Kenya), aiming to strengthen situational awareness, streamline biodiversity data analysis, and improve decision-making in support of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. SPGA is the lead implementing institution, with WildLandscapes International providing guidance, and 51 Degrees Ltd customising the EarthRanger platform to local mapping and monitoring needs.

While the project's initial focus is on the SPGA managed marine parks,  it also allows for expansion to terrestrial parks such as Morne Seychellois National Park, Praslin National Park, and the Veuve Special Reserve. Beyond the AI cameras, the project also covers development of the ranger trainings for species monitoring and invasive species mapping.

By combining international scientific partnerships with cutting-edge monitoring technology, SPGA aims to close critical data gaps and strengthen the long-term protection of Seychelles' protected areas.

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