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NFWF Announces $1.1 Million in Grants from Coral Reef Conservation Fund

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WASHINGTON, D.C., Oct. 26, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced $1.1 million in grants to support efforts to improve the health and resilience of coral reefs in Florida, Hawai‘i, the Northern Mariana Islands and Puerto Rico. The grants will generate $2.3 million in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of $3.4 million.

“Across the globe, coral reef ecosystems suffer persistent damage from stressors including increased coral bleaching events, warming oceans, overfishing and pollution,” said Jeff Trandahl, executive director and CEO of NFWF. “NFWF is proud that over the course of over 20 years, with the support of our partners, the Coral Reef Conservation Fund has become a highly effective incubator for innovation, development and dissemination of best practices for protecting coral.”

The grants were awarded through the Coral Reef Conservation Fund (CRCF), a 21-year conservation partnership between NFWF and NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP). Aramco Americas also joined in support of the fund as the major corporate sponsor for a second consecutive year. Supplemental funding was also provided this year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

“Now more than ever, we need to come together to make a real difference in conserving corals,” said Jennifer Koss, director of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program. “Every year the quality of proposals increases and funding decisions are harder, which is a real testament to NOAA and NFWF building upon years of work in coral reef research and management.”

The projects supported by the seven grants announced today will address NFWF’s three primary focus areas to help protect functioning and resilient coral reef systems in an increasingly urbanized and changing coastal environment:

  • Increasing the resiliency of coral reefs by reducing human-based threats such as overfishing and land-based sources of pollution
  • Promoting active restoration efforts to restore degraded reefs
  • Investing in innovation and tools for managers to increase their capacity and decision-making power

With this second year’s contribution in 2021, Aramco Americas’ support of the Coral Reef Conservation Fund has helped make possible the award of 18 conservation grants in U.S., Caribbean, and Pacific waters related to the health of coral reefs. The company’s support has catalyzed a total on-the-ground impact of $6.2 million in just two years.

“Aramco is pleased to support conservation efforts around the world, and especially those related to marine environments,” said Nabeel I. AlAfaleg, president and chief executive officer, Aramco Americas. “This extends our work with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and our commitment to having a positive, long-term impact on marine environmental protection.”

This year’s Coral Reef Conservation Fund grant recipients include:

  • Coral Restoration Foundation ($148,000) will use artificial intelligence software to create reef-scale photomosaic images for the purpose of coral restoration monitoring.
  • Arizona State University ($196,000) will identify herbivory thresholds for reef resilience in Hawai‘i that relate to coral reef condition to help reef managers manage fish populations for coral restoration and health.
  • Protectores de Cuencas ($150,000) will engage the local community of Culebra, Puerto Rico in a citizen-science monitoring program to help prioritize coral reef conservation strategies for the island.
  • State of Hawai‘i, Department of Land and Natural Resources ($222,000) will protect 7,000 acres of forests from non-native hooved animals to reduce sedimentation onto nearshore coral reef habitat.
  • The Nature Conservancy ($110,000) will characterize the current state of the coral reefs at Kawela in southeast Molokai to help track recovery after significant land pollution reduction activities that are in progress.
  • Mariana Islands Nature Alliance ($50,000) will test various coral out-planting strategies to inform future coral reef restoration in the territory.
  • Nova Southeastern University ($233,000) will provide treatments to corals to prevent loss of corals to stony coral tissue loss disease.

Since 2000, the Coral Reef Conservation Fund has made 408 awards to coral conservation projects with $22 million in federal and non-federal funds, which leveraged more than $29 million in matching funds for a total conservation impact of $51 million.

A complete list of the 2021 grants made through the Coral Reef Conservation Fund is available here.

About the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation

Chartered by Congress in 1984, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) protects and restores the nation’s fish, wildlife, plants and habitats. Working with federal, corporate and individual partners, NFWF has funded more than 5,000 organizations and generated a conservation impact of $6.8 billion. Learn more at www.nfwf.org.

About the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Learn more at www.noaa.gov.  

About Aramco Americas

Aramco Services Company (d/b/a Aramco Americas) is the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, a world leader in integrated energy and chemicals, and has had a presence in the U.S. for more than 60 years. Aramco Americas is a contributor to the U.S. energy sector through research and development, venture fund activities, asset ownership, as well as technology and digital transformation. The company is headquartered in Houston, and maintains offices in New York, Washington D.C., Boston, and Detroit. Aramco Americas is committed to being a positive contributor in the communities where its employees live and work, and to making a difference through outreach that benefits the arts, geosciences, education and the environment. Please visit https://americas.aramco.com/ to learn more.

About the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

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Artificial Intelligence

Dongfa Group’s Gas Scenario + Digital Twin Technology, Leads the Industry with New AI Trend

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–Highlights of the 2024 Exhibition
SHANGHAI, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — From May 17 to 19, 2024, China(Shanghai) International Metrology Measurement Technology and Equipment Exhibition was held at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center. Dongfa Group participated in the exhibition, showcasing its latest research achievements. At the expo, Chairman Liu Ming of Dongfa Group conducted the lighting ceremony and announced the official launch of the “Smart Gas Comprehensive Supervision Platform,” demonstrating the convenience and efficiency achieved through the smart management of municipal gas meters.

Dandong Dongfa (Group) Co., Ltd., established in 1962 and headquartered in Singapore, was formerly known as Dandong Thermal Instrument Co., Ltd. As an integrated group company engaged in research, production, and operations, Dongfa Group is dedicated to the development and application of instruments and meters. Its product range includes IC card gas meters, wired direct-reading remote diaphragm gas meters, wireless direct-reading remote diaphragm gas meters, NB-IoT IoT meters, and ultrasonic gas meters. These products incorporate the technical features of similar domestic and international products, offering high accuracy, reliability, and stability, making the company a leading smart gas meter manufacturer in China.
At the expo, Dongfa Group showcased its Smart Gas Comprehensive Supervision Platform, which integrates AI, IoT, cloud computing, and big data. This platform connects the topological structure of all aspects of gas operations and consolidates all relevant data involved in production management and operation maintenance. This integration enhances the comprehensive research and development and operational maintenance capabilities of the big data governance system.
At the same time, Dongfa Group is empowering comprehensive management and control with digital twins, AI, and big data. By leveraging digital twins, AI models, and 5G technology as data elements, the company is constructing a unified citywide network and a digital twin map of the gas pipeline network. This enables deep integration of AI monitoring, pressure and leakage detection, smart terminals, and other sensing devices with gas operations, ensuring the comprehensive safety and supply of urban gas.
Digital twin gas technology not only provides auxiliary support for pipeline design, but also plays a crucial role in intelligent emergency response and precise distribution. Especially in the operation of gas stations, it enables comprehensive real-time monitoring, intelligent integrated operation scheduling, proactive warning, emergency event command plans, and other effects, thereby improving the efficiency and safety of gas management.
However, there have been numerous incidents of data leakage involving smart AI devices in recent years. Sensitive data is being collected or even sold by malicious actors, leading to the disclosure of confidential information, resulting in significant economic losses and even legal risks.
To ensure the security of both enterprise and user data, Dongfa Group utilizes Digital Envelope technology to encrypt and decrypt data packets during data collection and distribution. This approach combines the advantages of both symmetric and asymmetric encryption technologies for secure information transmission, enabling fast, efficient, and secure encryption and decryption processing for the smart gas digital business sector. This ensures the security and integrity of data during transmission.
Visitors at the expo showed strong interest in the new products and technologies exhibited by Dongfa Group. Dongfa Group has always been committed to driving the development of the smart instrumentation industry through technological innovation. Through this exhibition, the company not only showcased its technical prowess but also strengthened communication and collaboration with industry peers. Looking ahead, they aim to join hands in opening a new chapter in the smart instrumentation industry.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2420352/Dongfa_Group_s_Gas_Scenario___Digital_Twin_Technology__Leads_the_Industry_with_New_AI_Trend.jpg
 

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QNAP S3-compatible Storage Solution “QuObjects” Certified as Veeam® Ready – Object with Immutability

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TAIPEI, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — QNAP® Systems, Inc., a leading computing, networking, and storage solution innovator, today announced that its S3-compatible object storage solution “QuObjects” has qualified as Veeam® Ready – Object with Immutability, applicable for QNAP NAS with QTS and QuTS hero operating systems. This certification underscores the reliability of QuObjects as a secure object backup solution for enterprises, enhancing data management efficiency and upmost security.

QuObjects is the S3 object storage solution for QNAP NAS, boasting read/write speeds 20 times faster than conventional cloud services, along with a highly flexible and scalable architecture to ensure efficient transmission and flexibility in object storage. From object service development to demanding workloads like machine learning and data lakes, QuObjects assists enterprises in achieving diverse application needs with higher cost effectiveness.
QuObjects supports Object Lock to ensure data immutability, further safeguarding against ransomware threats, cyberattacks, or human error. Coupled with access controls and authentication features, it provides comprehensive protection for object data security.
Jimmy Tam, Product Manager of QNAP, stated “Data security is critical for enterprises. With QuObjects certified by Veeam Ready – Object with Immutability, we empower organizations leveraging Veeam solutions to confidently opt for QNAP NAS for on-prem S3 object storage and backup, enjoying rapid transmission, extensive scalability, and steadfast security.”
QNAP is the preferred partner for Veeam object backup solutions. Learn more at Veeam Ready Object Partner and QNAP QuObjects- S3 Object Storage.
For more information and to view the full QNAP NAS lineup, please visit www.qnap.com.
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2413244/PR_image_QNAP_x_Veeam_Ready_en.jpg

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Tencent Announces Winners of Flagship CarbonX Program to Combat Climate Change

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SHENZHEN, China, May 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Tencent (00700.HK) is awarding 13 exceptional teams that won the first phase of its groundbreaking CarbonX Program, which is aimed at boosting promising new climate technologies. The winners, which emerged from a pool of 30 finalists and more than 300 initial applications, will receive a total of around RMB 100 million (US$14 million) in financial support from Tencent. It showcases the company’s commitment to driving sustainable social innovations in the fight against climate change.

CarbonX was launched in March 2023 to advance the next generation of low-carbon technologies. Tencent has committed RMB 200 million (US$28 million) in catalytic funding over the next three years to innovative ideas that might otherwise languish or fail to gain traction.
CarbonX’s first phase focused on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS), as well as technology-based carbon removal. These solutions were chosen for their unique ability to curb emissions from hard-to-abate industries such as steel and cement, mitigate the continued reliance on fossil fuels, and reduce legacy emissions created from decades of industrialization.
Backed by Tencent’s mission of Tech for Good and an alliance of like-minded industry partners, CarbonX aims to help these cutting-edge technologies make the leap from the research or early startup stage to commercial scale. The ultimate goal is supporting them in making a significant impact toward the targets outlined in the Paris Agreement, which includes a 45 percent reduction in emissions by 2030 and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Dr. Hao Xu, Tencent’s Vice President of Sustainable Social Value and Head of Tencent’s Carbon Neutrality Lab, said: “Technology innovation serves as the driving force to accelerate our progress toward achieving carbon neutrality. CarbonX program is aimed at fostering the growth of these technologies, driving positive impact across society, and laying the groundwork for a more sustainable future.”
Professor Jerry Yan, Chair Professor of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Co-chairman of the CarbonX expert committee, said: “To pave the path for a greener economy, we must champion the development of cutting-edge low-carbon technologies. Just as solar and wind power were nurtured in their infancy, emerging solutions like CCUS and tech-based carbon removal demand our early support.”
The program assembled a panel of experts from academia, industries, and the investor community as the jury, and welcomed submissions from diverse participants across three distinct tracks:
CarbonX Lab: Designed to incubate research institutions, universities, or labs that bring in game-changing climate solutionsCarbonX Accelerator: Designed to accelerate the growth of climate-tech startups that exhibit commercialization potentialCarbonX Infrastructure: Designed to support capacity building to facilitate industry developmentThe finalists comprise four projects from the Lab track, six from the Accelerator track, and three from the Infrastructure track. These projects explore innovative solutions, such as using steel slag to capture and store carbon directly from furnace exhaust, converting CO2 into sustainable aviation fuel and valuable chemicals through electrochemical reactions or microorganisms, and employing new approaches to directly capture CO2 from the atmosphere with the hope of slashing the cost to less than US$150 per ton.
Meanwhile, Tencent is also collaborating with Tsinghua University to develop a comprehensive system of Measure, Reporting and Verification (MRV) tools to accurately gauge progress toward decarbonization.
Aside from receiving financial and advisory support, several projects will also have the opportunity to collaborate with industry partners and test their research beyond the laboratory setting.
Building upon the success of the first phase, Tencent is poised to launch the second iteration of CarbonX globally as early as later this year in pursuit of early-stage climate tech innovation.

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