Canada-based nature tech specialist veritree has launched two breakthrough tools aimed at solving key barriers in global mangrove restoration: early-stage survivability monitoring and accurate carbon measurement.
The new AI survivability solution uses image recognition to assess mangrove health during the first three years after planting—a period critical to long-term restoration success.
Simultaneously, a peer-reviewed study co-authored by veritree, the University of Alberta, and EarthLungs Reforestation Foundation introduces a high-precision blue carbon model capable of estimating tree-level carbon biomass using drones and machine learning.
Mangroves store up to three times more carbon than inland tropical forests but have long been difficult to monitor due to dense canopy cover and remote locations.
These new tools, now integrated into veritree’s core platform, aim to overcome these challenges with scalable, verifiable data, according to a company statement on Tuesday.
“By uniting AI survivability classification with advanced carbon biomass measurement, we’re equipping restoration teams to overcome challenges that have held back mangrove recovery for decades,” said Derrick Emsley, CEO of veritree.
The AI tool, embedded in the veritree mobile app, directs field teams to randomized monitoring points and classifies individual trees as alive, dormant, or dead.
Meanwhile, the carbon model was validated in trials near Mombasa, Kenya, where a drone scanned 759 young mangroves, predicting carbon levels within ±4.4 lbs (2 kg) per tree.
Victor Mwanga, CEO of EarthLungs, said the research demonstrates that high-resolution, tree-level carbon data—once considered out of reach—is now attainable for grassroots restoration teams.
veritree’s system is already being piloted in Kenya, where EarthLungs is based, with expansion plans across Brazil and Asia.
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