Artash Nath
Founder, YouOceans | B.Sc. Stanford University Class of 2028
RISE Fellow - Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust
Barron Prize for Young Heroes 2024 | Eureka Changemakers Fellowship Canada 2025
My work spans the frontiers of oceans, space exploration, robotics, pandemics, and AI, focusing on solving intergenerational challenges with cutting-edge algorithms, advanced computations, and big data. I've shared my expertise through 80+ talks at prestigious conferences, including the UN Ocean Conference, and the American Geophysical Union.
Connect
Artash Nath
Founder, YouOceans | B.Sc. Stanford University Class of 2028
RISE Fellow - Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust
Barron Prize for Young Heroes 2024 | Eureka Changemakers Fellowship Canada 2025
My work spans the frontiers of oceans, space exploration, robotics, pandemics, and AI, focusing on solving intergenerational challenges with cutting-edge algorithms, advanced computations, and big data. I've shared my expertise through 80+ talks at prestigious conferences, including the UN Ocean Conference, and the American Geophysical Union.
Connect
Artash Nath
Founder, YouOceans | B.Sc. Stanford University Class of 2028
RISE Fellow - Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust
Barron Prize for Young Heroes 2024 | Eureka Changemakers Fellowship Canada 2025
My work spans the frontiers of oceans, space exploration, robotics, pandemics, and AI, focusing on solving intergenerational challenges with cutting-edge algorithms, advanced computations, and big data. I've shared my expertise through 80+ talks at prestigious conferences, including the UN Ocean Conference, and the American Geophysical Union.
Connect
YOU-Oceans Mission
YOU-OCEANS is dedicated to the conservation and protection of marine mammal populations by leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights. Our mission is to monitor and mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine life, providing actionable information to policymakers, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies.
YOU-Oceans Mission
YOU-OCEANS is dedicated to the conservation and protection of marine mammal populations by leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights. Our mission is to monitor and mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine life, providing actionable information to policymakers, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies.
YOU-Oceans Mission
YOU-OCEANS is dedicated to the conservation and protection of marine mammal populations by leveraging cutting-edge technology and data-driven insights. Our mission is to monitor and mitigate the impacts of human activities on marine life, providing actionable information to policymakers, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations to develop and implement effective conservation strategies.
The Challenge
Increased industrialization of oceans for trade, offshore energy, commercial fishing, and possibly deep-sea mining in future are leading to increased
underwater noise pollution. The noise impacts the ability of marine mammals to use sound to communicate, migrate, reproduce, and care for their young, leading to stress, collision with ships and mortality. Combined with ocean acidification and climate change pressures, it has put 25% of marine mammals at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 6 out of the 13 great whale species are endangered.
Nutrient-rich whale poop fertilizes the ocean surface leading to phytoplankton blooms that feed billions of fish while capturing carbon from the
atmosphere. The decline in whale populations destabilizes the ocean and climate ecosystems and threatens fisheries, coral reefs and the food chain. It hurts coastal and indigenous communities that rely on them for economies, tourism and sustenance.
The Challenge
Increased industrialization of oceans for trade, offshore energy, commercial fishing, and possibly deep-sea mining in future are leading to increased
underwater noise pollution. The noise impacts the ability of marine mammals to use sound to communicate, migrate, reproduce, and care for their young, leading to stress, collision with ships and mortality. Combined with ocean acidification and climate change pressures, it has put 25% of marine mammals at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 6 out of the 13 great whale species are endangered.
Nutrient-rich whale poop fertilizes the ocean surface leading to phytoplankton blooms that feed billions of fish while capturing carbon from the
atmosphere. The decline in whale populations destabilizes the ocean and climate ecosystems and threatens fisheries, coral reefs and the food chain. It hurts coastal and indigenous communities that rely on them for economies, tourism and sustenance.
The Challenge
Increased industrialization of oceans for trade, offshore energy, commercial fishing, and possibly deep-sea mining in future are leading to increased
underwater noise pollution. The noise impacts the ability of marine mammals to use sound to communicate, migrate, reproduce, and care for their young, leading to stress, collision with ships and mortality. Combined with ocean acidification and climate change pressures, it has put 25% of marine mammals at risk of extinction, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). 6 out of the 13 great whale species are endangered.
Nutrient-rich whale poop fertilizes the ocean surface leading to phytoplankton blooms that feed billions of fish while capturing carbon from the
atmosphere. The decline in whale populations destabilizes the ocean and climate ecosystems and threatens fisheries, coral reefs and the food chain. It hurts coastal and indigenous communities that rely on them for economies, tourism and sustenance.
Our Solution
A three-step solution is proposed through You-OCEANS. First, identify ocean hotspots where global shipping superhighways overlap with global whale superhighways used to migrate between feeding and breeding grounds. Then, create and apply artificial intelligence algorithms to acoustic data from hydrophone networks in these hotspots to detect the presence of endangered marine mammals. Second, crowdsource and combine data from multiple hydrophones and other assets in hotspots to understand the movements and behaviour of marine mammals. Third, support conservation measures to reduce the impact of anthropogenic activities on marine mammals, such as sending text alerts when the presence of endangered whales is detected or temporary movement of shipping lanes. Low-cost hydrophones could be tested and deployed where no hydrophones are found near the ocean hotspots. An interactive portal will be created where analysis from different oceanic regions will be posted.
Our Solution
A three-step solution is proposed through You-OCEANS. First, identify ocean hotspots where global shipping superhighways overlap with global whale superhighways used to migrate between feeding and breeding grounds. Then, create and apply artificial intelligence algorithms to acoustic data from hydrophone networks in these hotspots to detect the presence of endangered marine mammals. Second, crowdsource and combine data from multiple hydrophones and other assets in hotspots to understand the movements and behaviour of marine mammals. Third, support conservation measures to reduce the impact of anthropogenic activities on marine mammals, such as sending text alerts when the presence of endangered whales is detected or temporary movement of shipping lanes. Low-cost hydrophones could be tested and deployed where no hydrophones are found near the ocean hotspots. An interactive portal will be created where analysis from different oceanic regions will be posted.
Our Solution
A three-step solution is proposed through You-OCEANS. First, identify ocean hotspots where global shipping superhighways overlap with global whale superhighways used to migrate between feeding and breeding grounds. Then, create and apply artificial intelligence algorithms to acoustic data from hydrophone networks in these hotspots to detect the presence of endangered marine mammals. Second, crowdsource and combine data from multiple hydrophones and other assets in hotspots to understand the movements and behaviour of marine mammals. Third, support conservation measures to reduce the impact of anthropogenic activities on marine mammals, such as sending text alerts when the presence of endangered whales is detected or temporary movement of shipping lanes. Low-cost hydrophones could be tested and deployed where no hydrophones are found near the ocean hotspots. An interactive portal will be created where analysis from different oceanic regions will be posted.
Innovation
At present, monitoring endangered marine mammals and their behaviour is done through visual observations from drones, planes, boats and spotting scopes. This method requires presence near the coast or in the ocean, during the daytime, when whales are surfacing, and planning, equipment and trained researchers. The researchers and their vehicles have to respect maritime boundaries, as the migration path of whales cuts across borders.
YOU-OCEANS uses hydrophone data to continuously detect endangered whales day and night, from remote and even when whales are underwater. The AI algorithm would not require dedicated researchers to make a detection. This information could automatically be sent out as a text alert. It would protect the whales as countries like Canada and the USA have policies to temporarily close crab fisheries when endangered whales, such as the Right Whales, are detected. Continuous monitoring of networks of hydrophones would give advance warnings to officials and fisherpeople.
Innovation
At present, monitoring endangered marine mammals and their behaviour is done through visual observations from drones, planes, boats and spotting scopes. This method requires presence near the coast or in the ocean, during the daytime, when whales are surfacing, and planning, equipment and trained researchers. The researchers and their vehicles have to respect maritime boundaries, as the migration path of whales cuts across borders.
YOU-OCEANS uses hydrophone data to continuously detect endangered whales day and night, from remote and even when whales are underwater. The AI algorithm would not require dedicated researchers to make a detection. This information could automatically be sent out as a text alert. It would protect the whales as countries like Canada and the USA have policies to temporarily close crab fisheries when endangered whales, such as the Right Whales, are detected. Continuous monitoring of networks of hydrophones would give advance warnings to officials and fisherpeople.
Innovation
At present, monitoring endangered marine mammals and their behaviour is done through visual observations from drones, planes, boats and spotting scopes. This method requires presence near the coast or in the ocean, during the daytime, when whales are surfacing, and planning, equipment and trained researchers. The researchers and their vehicles have to respect maritime boundaries, as the migration path of whales cuts across borders.
YOU-OCEANS uses hydrophone data to continuously detect endangered whales day and night, from remote and even when whales are underwater. The AI algorithm would not require dedicated researchers to make a detection. This information could automatically be sent out as a text alert. It would protect the whales as countries like Canada and the USA have policies to temporarily close crab fisheries when endangered whales, such as the Right Whales, are detected. Continuous monitoring of networks of hydrophones would give advance warnings to officials and fisherpeople.
Partners, Grants, and Awards
RISE / Schmidt Horizon Fund
We thank RISE For The World for their support through The Eric and Wendy Schmidt Fund for Strategic Innovation and the Rhodes Trust Horizon Fund. This grant, provided as part of the RISE Entrepreneurship Fund, has helped us launch YOU-OCEANS and take the first steps towards achieving our mission of protecting marine life through advanced technology and data-driven insights.
Grant
Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes
Awarded the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes—one of just 25 young leaders across North America recognized annually—for driving meaningful community impact. The prize includes $10,000 in funding, a personalized plaque, and access to national media and peer networks to amplify the reach of your service work.
Award
Eureka Fellowship - Astrazeneca & Plan International Canada
Selected as one of ten Eureka Fellows across Canada, receiving $10,000 in funding and leadership support to expand You-Oceans. Through this fellowship, we are developing a bilingual open-access platform and course for whale-call analysis, making marine conservation technology more accessible to youth and grassroots organizations worldwide.
Award
MBARI
Thank you to the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI) for making their hydrophone data from Monterey Bay open source, and for their numerous notebooks and resources in the Pacific Sound project, which have greatly inspired our work.
Acknowledgement
Career Opportunities
To apply, please contact Careers@You-Oceans.com with your resume
ML Intern — Bioacoustics
Virtual$20–$28/hr · Part‑time
Help build classifiers for marine mammal calls. Python + PyTorch preferred. Work alongside ocean acoustics researchers; flexible hours.
Community Hydrophone Fellow — Coastal Deployment
Field$150 stipend · One-time
Do you live near a dock, pier, or shoreline? Apply to become a Community Hydrophone Fellow and help us expand our global ocean soundscape network. We’ll ship you a low-cost hydrophone kit — including rope, anchor, and instructions — to deploy locally. No experience needed. Fellows receive a $150 honorarium for their contribution to marine conservation.
Partnerships Lead
Bay Area$80–$120k · Full‑time
Own relationships with research institutions, NGOs, and industry partners. You’ll structure pilots and secure multi‑year support.
© 2024–2025 YouOceans.
A youth-led nonprofit registered in California since 2024.
info@you-oceans.com
© 2024–2025 YouOceans.
A youth-led nonprofit registered in California since 2024.
info@you-oceans.com
© 2024–2025 YouOceans.
A youth-led nonprofit registered in California since 2024.
info@you-oceans.com