‘Coral in Focus’ Premieres at the United Nations Ocean Conference, Spotlighting Innovation and Urgency in Reef Restoration

A new film by Samsung and Seatrees captures the impact and urgency of coral reef restoration through the lens of Galaxy technology

Nice, France – June 16, 2025 – At the United Nations Ocean Conference 2025 (UNOC)¹ in Nice, held to mark World Oceans Day on June 8, Samsung Electronics hosted a premiere event for “Coral in Focus,” a new documentary that brings the global coral crisis into sharp relief. The event, held at Ocean House, featured a screening of the film followed by a panel discussion with leading voices in marine science, conservation and technology.

Directed by award-winning filmmaker Quentin van den Bossche, “Coral in Focus” follows scientists, engineers and local conservationists as they confront the urgent threats facing coral reefs – ecosystems that support up to a billion people and a quarter of all marine life. This work is part of a broader effort announced at Galaxy Unpacked in January 2025, where Samsung unveiled its partnership with Seatrees to support the restoration of coastal ecosystems with communities in Fiji, Indonesia and the United States, leveraging Galaxy camera technology to document and aid in the recovery of marine environments.


The documentary spotlights the urgent threats facing coral reefs and showcases how innovative technology and global collaboration can drive meaningful impact for marine ecosystems.

A Crisis Hidden Beneath the Surface

As ocean temperatures shattered records, more than 80% of the world’s reefs have suffered from mass bleaching. When corals bleach, they lose not just their color but their lifeblood: the algae that feed them. This crisis, largely invisible to the public, threatens biodiversity, food security and coastal resilience. Long-term climate action is crucial to safeguarding coral reefs, while short-term restoration efforts, informed and supported by innovative technology, can help them withstand rising ocean temperatures.

A Galaxy Smartphone That Sees Beneath the Waves

Samsung collaborated with Seatrees, a nonprofit dedicated to restoring marine ecosystems, and Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego, a global leader in reef research, to pioneer a new frontier in coral restoration by exploring new, innovative solutions. Ocean Mode², a specialized camera feature created specifically for this partnership, was developed, introduced and validated in real-world conditions in Indonesia and Fiji. This process has created a credible foundation for broader scientific use while improving the overall accessibility of this new technology.

By enabling more scientists, conservationists and even citizen scientists with the ability to photograph, map and monitor reefs, Ocean Mode can help restoration efforts scale, and make it possible for anyone to protect more reefs, in more places, with greater impact.

Innovation with Measurable Impact

Ocean Mode transforms the Galaxy S24 Ultra into a mobile marine research tool, enabling vivid, high-resolution image capture even in challenging underwater conditions. It corrects the excessive blue and green hues typical of underwater photography, allowing for a more accurate representation of coral health and diversity.

The camera adjusts shutter speed and leverages multi-frame image processing to reduce motion blur caused by water movement or diver activity, ensuring sharp, detailed images. With its interval shooting capability, the device can automatically capture thousands of images in a single dive, dramatically improving both efficiency and consistency. These images can then be used to generate 3D models of coral reefs using technology known as photogrammetry, giving researchers a powerful way to visualize and study the drivers of the structure and health of reefs over time.

Over the past year, the project has delivered extraordinary results. With these coral restoration initiatives, 17 3D models of coral reefs have been made with the help of scientists and Samsung to analyze the impact of coral restoration efforts and to validate the precision of Galaxy devices for photogrammetry. In total, Seatrees project partners planted more than 14,046 coral fragments to restore 10,705 square meters of coral reef habitat.

A Premiere with Purpose

The “Coral in Focus” premiere at Ocean House, in partnership with Project Everyone, brought together scientists, storytellers and sustainability leaders for a powerful conversation on the role that technology and global collaboration play in the future of coral reefs.

▲ (From left to right) Alex Heath, Cassie Smith, Dr. Daniel Wangpraseurt, Michael Stewart, Quentin van den Bossche

▲ Quentin van den Bossche, director of “Coral in Focus”

“Ocean Mode became its own character in the documentary,” said Quentin van den Bossche, director of “Coral in Focus.” “This helped us illustrate some of the complex, specific challenges that reef conservationists encounter. And showing the difference between photos taken with and without Ocean Mode helped ground the technology in something visual and even emotional. This is where the impact of partnerships among companies, research institutes, and nonprofits truly comes to life.”

▲ Michael Stewart, Co-Founder, Seatrees, holding a Galaxy S24 Ultra to show Ocean Mode year 1 impact metrics about 14,046 coral fragments planted across three restoration sites.

“A key focus of the coral restoration efforts is being able to monitor what’s working and what’s not. And that starts with capturing high-quality images of our supported reefs,” said Michael Stewart, co-founder of Seatrees. “Our local partners have really appreciated Ocean Mode because it has improved their ability to capture higher-quality images with Galaxy phones to make the 3D models created by the scientists at Scripps more accurate.”

▲ Daniel Wangpraseurt, Ph.D., associate research scientist of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography

“Mobile technology is a powerful way to connect communities with ecosystems they may never physically encounter but are deeply tied to through climate, biodiversity and cultural heritage,” said Daniel Wangpraseurt, Ph.D., associate research scientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “Smartphones are now capable of taking high-resolution imagery to help generate more accurate 3D models. They also hold unique potential to increase the pace at which we share this information with people around the world who may never get to experience a coral reef themselves.”

▲ Cassie Smith, senior manager of Corporate Sustainability and U.S. Public Affairs of Samsung Electronics America

“Through our partnership with Seatrees, we saw how Galaxy technology could play a role not just in responsible sourcing but in supporting coral reef restoration,” said Cassie Smith, senior manager of Corporate Sustainability and U.S. Public Affairs of Samsung Electronics America. “The documentary tells that story beautifully – showing what happens when like-minded partners, engineers, scientists and local communities come together with shared purpose and the right tools.”

 ▲ Attendees of the “Coral in Focus” documentary premiere event included Swati Thiyagarajan, award-winning documentary filmmaker, environmental journalist with the Sea Change Project, and associate producer and production manager of the Academy Award-winning “My Octopus Teacher”; Titouan Bernicot, founder and CEO of Coral Gardeners and National Geographic Explorer; and Beverly Camhe, writer, producer and entertainment executive. 

“It’s essential for the private sector to be involved and help get impactful solutions off the ground,” said Lefteris Arapakis, co-founder of Enaleia. “We need all parties working together to protect and scale ocean conservation efforts. I’m especially excited about Ocean Mode – tools like this make our work more efficient and help us create greater impact.”

“It was a beautiful film and I love how it left us with a sense of hope and something we could do about the problem,” said Dana Habib, associate at the Institute for Integrated Transitions.
 

 ▲  Panels and attendees discussing the “Coral in Focus” film and project

The discussion was moderated by Alex Heath, managing director and U.S. head of Social Impact & Sustainability at Edelman. The event also featured 3D reef models generated from photogrammetry data created with Galaxy S24 Ultras used in the field.

Exploring Ocean Conservation at UNOC

In addition to the premiere of “Coral in Focus,” Samsung representatives spoke on two panels hosted by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO-IOC) at the UNESCO-IOC “Beyond Borders: Ocean Futures” pavilion. First, Generation17 Young Leader José Francisco Ochoa spoke about the importance of digital technology and community partnership during the panel “Showcasing the Diversity of Ocean Literacy Practices Around the World,” where he shared insights on how Generation17 elevates his work to advance ocean literacy.

Samsung also participated in a panel discussion titled “The Role of Corals in Unlocking the Secrets of Biodiversity,” highlighting its commitment to marine conservation. Cassie Smith, senior manager of Corporate Sustainability and U.S. Public Affairs at Samsung Electronics, presented how Galaxy technology, including Ocean Mode, serves as a tool to support marine ecosystem protection through environmental monitoring, data collection and community engagement. The panel was part of a full day of programming held during UNOC that promoted ocean literacy and awareness of ocean preservation.

A Continued Commitment to Ocean Health

The collaboration with Seatrees builds on Samsung’s broader commitment to ocean health. Since 2022, the company has incorporated over 150 tonnes of recycled fishing nets into Galaxy devices. Now, with Ocean Mode, Samsung is redefining the role of mobile technology in climate action – expanding research capabilities, raising awareness and making the invisible visible.

To watch the full documentary and access more information about the initiative, visit the Samsung x Seatrees partnership landing page.