Fujitsu has announced the development of a new technology capable of rapidly and accurately quantifying blue carbon — the carbon absorbed and stored by marine ecosystems — with the aim of supporting large-scale restoration and conservation of seagrass beds. The innovation represents a major advance in the company’s ocean digital twin research and is designed to streamline the certification of blue carbon credits, a growing component of global decarbonisation efforts.
The system enables non-specialists to carry out data collection, measurement, ecosystem recognition and blue carbon quantification, significantly reducing the time and expertise traditionally required. According to Fujitsu, the technology can analyse more than one hectare with over 85% accuracy in roughly 30 minutes per hectare — a process previously requiring 100 times longer. Its effectiveness was demonstrated through the project’s receipt of J-Blue Credit® certification, achieving a 95% accreditation rate.
Fujitsu plans to deploy the technology in real marine environments in collaboration with Japanese municipalities and local industries, using it for seagrass bed restoration, conservation and further blue carbon credit certifications. The company will also extend its application to environmental assessments linked to offshore wind projects and other marine infrastructure, aiming to support both decarbonisation and biodiversity protection.
The system integrates three core technological components: underwater drone navigation technology capable of stable autonomous operations even in strong currents; AI-driven tools to identify seagrass and seaweed species, assess coverage and quantify blue carbon uptake across 80% of Japan’s marine areas; and simulation technology that models seagrass bed growth under different environmental and human-influenced scenarios.
The technology has already been trialled in the Uwa Sea, in cooperation with regional fisheries groups and the Uwakai Institute for Environmental Biology. The project’s 1.8-hectare assessment area received top-tier J-Blue Credit® certification on 17 October 2025.
Fujitsu will present the new system and other ocean digital twin technologies at Techno-Ocean 2025 in Kobe from 27 to 29 November.
