- DISCOVERY Vessel Bay Browser
CASTUS Technologies Marine Debris Modeling Research
- August 13, 2026
- Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Project Overview
CASTUS Technologies is a startup building a platform to locate and target floating objects in the ocean, whether it be marine debris, oil spills, lost cargo, or people in distress. By using expertise in engineering, physics, and Artificial Intelligence, CASTUS aims to create a model to predict the movement of these floating objects, which is influenced by ocean currents, wind drift, and buoyancy. By modeling the movement of these objects, CASTUS reduces the time and money spent on the “search phase” of recovery efforts, making ocean cleanup and recovery missions more efficient, cost effective and environmentally conscious.
SeaKeepers was introduced to CASTUS Technologies through our partner Debris Free Oceans, to help facilitate data collection with the support of local DISCOVERY Vessels.
Application
CASTUS Technologies platform will enable researchers and stakeholders to track and predict the movement of floating objects, allowing for the efficient removal and recovery of pollutants or lost people or objects. CASTUS Technologies software can allow organizations like SeaKeepers to locate hotspots of marine debris, making cleanup efforts more efficient and reducing emissions and time spent locating debris. The software can also be used in disaster responses to events such as oil spills, shipwrecks, or lost persons, saving critical time for these rescue efforts.
Expedition Summary
On Thursday, August 13, 2026, SeaKeepers supported CASTUS Technologies and Debris Free Oceans aboard DISCOVERY Vessel Bay Browser to test CASTUS Technologies marine debris mapping off the coast of Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
During the expedition, CASTUS Technologies CEO was able to visit four coordinates that the program predicted floating marine debris offshore of Port Everglades, and collect data using visual surveys, drone footage, and underwater observations. The team was able to observe how the program was able to detect floating objects like sargassum as well as marine debris, and how these aggregations of debris and sargassum had moved since the software predicted their location and generated coordinates. The Debris Free Oceans and SeaKeepers team were also able to remove the located marine debris from the patches of sargassum. By the end of the day, the team had removed over 15 pounds of trash from the water, including styrofoam, plastic bags, a mylar balloon, and many plastic bottles!
SeaKeepers and Debris Free Oceans hope to continue to partner with CASTUS Technologies to streamline snorkel and vessel cleanups by bringing volunteers straight to marine debris hotspots.
Location
Offshore of Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Duration of Project
August 13, 2026 is the first SeaKeepers supported outing for CASTUS Technologies. There will likely be future opportunities for collaboration to continue to test and improve the program aboard DISCOVERY Vessels.
Leadership
Research Team
Mohamed Ismail, CEO Cactus Technologies
Lillian Engelhard, SeaKeepers Community Engagement Manager
Isabella Herrera, Debris Free Oceans Zero-Waste Programs and Events Manager
Rick Dronksy, DISCOVERY Vessel Bay Browser Captain
Partner Sites
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