New York, NY, May 21, 2025 — WCS is pleased to announce it has been selected as one of the inaugural grantees in the Bezos Earth Fund’s groundbreaking AI Grand Challenge for Climate and Nature. The MERMAID platform from WCS will receive a $50,000 Phase I grant to advance its pioneering work at the intersection of artificial intelligence and environmental sustainability. Learn more about MERMAID at datamermaid.org.

The AI Grand Challenge, launched with a commitment of up to $100 million in funding, supports bold, AI-powered ideas to combat climate change, halt biodiversity loss, and protect our planet’s future. MERMAID, a WCS initiative, was chosen for its innovative potential and real-world impact.

Said Dr. Emily Darling, WCS Director of Coral Reefs and Co-founder of MERMAID: “Without AI, it’s impossible to monitor and protect coral reefs at the scale and speed the climate crisis demands. This new funding accelerates our vision to equip every coral reef scientist, NGO, and government with free, practical AI tools—so that 100% of the world’s coral reefs can be monitored and protected within the next decade.”

The AI Grand Challenge focused on sustainable proteins, power grid optimization, and biodiversity conservation — as well as other visionary wildcard solutions. MERMAID is contributing to the biodiversity conservation focus area. 

Each Phase I grant recipient is now eligible to participate in Phase II of the challenge, where up to 15 projects will be selected to receive implementation grants of $2 million to scale their solutions over the next two years.

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About The Bezos Earth Fund
The Bezos Earth Fund is helping transform the fight against climate change with the largest ever philanthropic commitment to climate and nature protection. Jeff Bezos has committed $10 billion to protect nature and address climate change. By providing funding and expertise, we partner with organizations to accelerate innovation, break down barriers to success and create a more equitable and sustainable world. To learn more about the Bezos Earth Fund, visit: bezosearthfund.org.