🐙 What the Octopus Can Teach Us About Smarter Ocean Clean-up
“On World Octopus Day, RanMarine takes inspiration from one of the ocean’s most adaptable survivors.”
By RanMarine Communications – 08 Oct 2025 Few marine animals embody intelligence and adaptability like the octopus. With three hearts, blue blood, and the ability to change colour and texture in an instant, the octopus has mastered survival in the ocean’s most dynamic environments. It uses tools, solves problems, and even learns by observation. A remarkable example of nature’s design.
But even the most resourceful creatures can’t thrive if their environment is overwhelmed by pollution. Every year, millions of tons of waste flow from rivers, canals, harbours, and lakes into the sea, carrying with it the plastic and debris that threaten marine ecosystems. By the time this pollution reaches open water, it’s already too late. The key is prevention, not clean-up after the fact.
At RanMarine, we’ve taken that lesson to heart. Our WasteShark drones are designed to remove floating debris and plastics before they reach the ocean, patrolling inland waterways, ports, and city canals where waste begins its journey downstream.
Much like the octopus, the WasteShark is quiet, efficient, and adaptive. They glide through the water autonomously, capturing waste without disturbing aquatic life, helping cities and ports prevent pollution at its source.
WasteShark operates in canals, harbours, and lakes, removing floating waste before it reaches the ocean.
World Octopus Day isn’t just about celebrating a fascinating animal. It’s a reminder that ocean protection starts close to home. By acting upstream, we can stop waste from ever reaching the habitats that species like the octopus depend on.
If nature can adapt, so can we, with intelligent technology designed to keep our waterways clean and our oceans resilient.
We’re proud to share our feature segment from TRT World’s NexTech programme, showcasing how RanMarine’s autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) are tackling water pollution head-on.
Going to the Problem
Rather than waiting at fixed collection points, our robust ASVs actively navigate through harbours, canals, and waterbodies, seeking out and collecting floating debris wherever it accumulates. Remote-controlled or fully autonomous, our technology goes directly to the pollution.
Collection Meets Intelligence
Whilst collecting waste, our vessels simultaneously record GPS-coded water quality data, providing environmental insights alongside physical clean-up capabilities. It’s smart technology working hard to protect our waterways.
RanMarine solution on 𝐓𝐑𝐓 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡
Video credit: TRT World NexTech
Learn More
Discover how RanMarine’s WasteShark and MegaShark are keeping waterways clean worldwide.
RanMarine Featured in TRT World’s NexTech Programme
Showcasing autonomous water clean-up technology in global broadcast on tackling plastic pollution
Rotterdam, 20 Sept 2025 – RanMarine Technology has been featured in the latest episode of NexTech, TRT World’s technology and innovation programme, highlighting cutting-edge solutions to combat water pollution.
The episode explores how plastic waste is choking rivers, lakes, and oceans worldwide, and profiles the Dutch organisations developing technology to address this growing environmental crisis.
A Collaborative Approach to a Global Challenge
The NexTech feature showcases a complex ecosystem of innovators, each contributing unique capabilities:
Deltares investigates how plastic moves through water using their massive Hydrohal research facility
Noria | Urban Plastic Soup Solutions deploys barrier systems that capture waste from river flows
Nova Innova develops luminescent sensors for real-time water quality monitoring
Unlike static collection systems, RanMarine’s autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) navigate waterways independently, seeking out and collecting floating debris wherever it accumulates. Our ASVs offer remote-controlled or fully autonomous operation, going directly to the pollution rather than waiting for it to arrive at fixed collection points.
Whilst collecting waste, the vessels simultaneously record GPS-coded water quality data, providing valuable environmental intelligence alongside physical clean-up capabilities.
“The scale of water pollution requires multiple approaches and technologies working together,” said CEO Richard Hardiman. “We’re proud to contribute our autonomous collection capability to this collaborative effort alongside other innovative organisations.”
Watch the Full Feature
𝐓𝐑𝐓 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝’𝐬 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 episode on plastic waste
The complete NexTech episode is available to watch [above/on our website].
About RanMarine Technology
RanMarine Technology designs and manufactures autonomous surface vessels for water quality improvement and floating waste collection. Our WasteShark and MegaShark vessels operate in harbours, marinas, canals, and other waterbodies worldwide, combining autonomous navigation with data collection to protect aquatic environments.
Mission Accomplished: CyanoShark Supports Successful European Championship at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam Triathlon
We’re delighted to report that all swimming events at Challenge Almere-Amsterdam took place successfully in the Weerwaters of Almere, following our intensive pre-event water quality management programme.
Ten Days of Proactive Water Treatment
For ten consecutive days leading up to the Challenge Almere-Amsterdam triathlon, incorporating the European Championship Long Distance, our CyanoShark system was deployed daily on the swimming course. Over more than 50 hours of active operation, the team and CyanoShark worked tirelessly to disrupt cyanobacteria concentrations and mitigate potentially hazardous blue-green algae levels in the lake.
Watch video 📽️ below ⤵️
While cyanobacteria levels are influenced by numerous environmental factors including weather patterns, sunlight exposure, rainfall, and wind conditions; all of which remained beyond the event’s control, our sustained intervention played a crucial role in reducing the risk levels and creating safer swimming conditions for Europe’s and the Netherlands finest triathletes.
Collaborative Success
The successful outcome demonstrates what can be achieved when innovative technology meets proactive event management. We were pleased to play our part in supporting Challenge Almere-Amsterdam and are particularly grateful to the Challenge Family for taking the lead on this important water quality initiative.
Their commitment to athlete safety, combined with their willingness to deploy cutting-edge, environmentally responsible solutions, sets a new standard for sustainable event management in challenging conditions.
See the CyanoShark in Almere
Want to see how we tackled this challenge? Watch our exclusive 3-minute video documenting the pre-event clean-up operations, showcasing the CyanoShark system in action on the Weerwaters of Almere.
This successful deployment reinforces our commitment to providing innovative, chemical-free water quality solutions for the events industry, helping organisers maintain the highest safety standards while protecting aquatic ecosystems.
For more information about CyanoShark technology and water quality management solutions, visit our product page on www.ranmarine.io
Netherlands-based RanMarine Technology is on a mission to clean up the world’s waters with its innovative autonomous surface vessels (ASVs) and collaborative ventures. Founder and CEO Richard Hardiman shared the company’s progress during an in-depth interview with Inside Marine.
RanMarine’s ASVs are paving the way for a cleaner, more sustainable future for our waterways. “RanMarine was established in 2016 with a clear mission to rid our waters of plastic,” explained Founder and CEO Richard Hardiman. “While we began with a focused goal, our technology has since evolved, allowing us to address broader aquatic environmental challenges.”
RanMarine’s speciality lies in creating waterborne robots, also known as Autonomous Surface Vehicles, that focus on cleaning floating pollution out of waterways, both inland and coastal. Founder and CEO Richard Hardiman was inspired to start the company after observing people using nets to fish rubbish from water. A firm believer in using technology to replace mundane tasks, Hardiman set out to address the inefficiency he saw: “I wanted to solve that inefficiency rather than a pollution problem.”
RanMarine, a Dutch startup, offers innovative solutions to fight water pollution. It has developed autonomous water-cleaning devices that not only effectively remove plastic waste but also address other major environmental challenges such as oil pollution and harmful algae blooms.
The plastic waste challenge
Initially, RanMarine focused mainly on tackling floating plastic pollution. The company devised a device that would autonomously navigate the water’s surface and collect plastics, like a robotic vacuum cleaner cleaning a floor.
The team quickly discovered a crucial insight about water pollution priorities: even if removing floating plastic waste remained vital for long-term environmental health, the lack of direct accountability meant that few people were willing to fund its cleanup. But ‘when we expanded our scope to tackle immediate threats like toxic algae blooms – which directly impact local businesses, drinking water, and public health – we found eager customers ready to invest in solutions,’ explains Richard Hardiman, CEO of RanMarine.
Today, RanMarine’s main clients are a mix of marinas and ports, city offices and municipalities, and several commercial clients. This shift revealed the true potential of scaling up their technology.
CEO Richard Hardiman
It’s not just plastic that needs to be cleaned up
As the company shifted focus to include algae removal, ‘we suddenly found that there was a lot of government focus on removal’ of harmful algae blooms, particularly in the USA and Europe. Richard says: ‘Our systems could do exactly the same thing, and the need was urgent and had available funding.’
RanMarine has developed two main platforms for their anti-pollution robots, the smaller WasteShark and the newer, larger, MegaShark platform. Both products are commercially available and are purchased depending on the clients’ needs for bigger or smaller units.
The flexibility of RanMarine’s technology became its biggest asset: their Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) are able to target several pollutants with minimal modifications. This adaptability has proven invaluable, as it has allowed the company to enter different markets and scale up without having to overhaul their entire product line.
Collecting data on water quality
Moreover, their ASVs are capable of collecting detailed water quality data while cleaning. By pairing the advanced GPS systems of the ASV and water probes, they were able to measure parameters such as pH levels, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. ‘We suddenly realised that we could build up cloud maps of what is in the water while we’re cleaning it,’ Hardiman says.
After securing private investment, RanMarine is now looking at the public and listed markets as options to raise capital.
The mentorship and strategic guidance from BlueInvest have been instrumental in this development. ‘BlueInvest is great when it comes to understanding the investor perspective,’ says Hardiman. ‘Our coach was really knowledgeable and showed us that you can have the perfect innovation and technology, but if you can’t make yourself understood in a pitch, then it won’t matter.’
While RanMarine had originally focused largely on the R&D process, their BlueInvest coach helped them to focus more on the business side in order to seek further investment.
Beyond the individual coaching, Hardiman also found value in the BlueInvest webinars, where industry experts and fellow entrepreneurs shared insights on scaling, securing funding, and navigating the blue economy. ‘Hearing from other startups about their challenges and how they overcame them helped put things into perspective. You don’t feel like you’re figuring everything out alone.’
BlueInvest
BlueInvest is the EU’s innovation and investment platform for the blue economy, offering business coaching, fundraising support, and networking opportunities for ocean technology companies. Interested individuals can register with the BlueInvest Community to explore programme features and opportunities or contact lu-blueinvest@pwc.lu.
Trash Trapping Program rids Toronto Harbour of 175,000+ pieces of plastic in 2024
PortsToronto’s Trash Trapping Program has emerged as a beacon of environmental innovation, showcasing how technology and collaboration can effectively combat waterway pollution. Since its inception in 2019, the program has made significant strides in removing plastic debris and other contaminants from Toronto Harbour, preventing these pollutants from reaching Lake Ontario and beyond.
A Multifaceted Approach to Pollution Control
The Trash Trapping Program utilizes a combination of advanced technologies and manual efforts to address the pervasive issue of floating debris. Key tools include Seabins, WasteShark aquadrones, and LittaTrap catch basin filters. Seabins, essentially floating garbage bins, are deployed at strategic locations along Toronto’s waterfront to suck in trash from the water’s surface. WasteSharks, nicknamed “Ebb” and “Flow,” are remote-controlled aquadrones that skim the water for floating debris. Meanwhile, LittaTraps are installed in storm drains to capture plastics before they even enter the waterways.
Complementing these technologies is manual skimming, which involves physically removing large debris and invasive plants that accumulate microplastics. Together, these efforts have created a robust system for intercepting waste at multiple points along its journey to the lake.
PortsToronto staff empty a WasteShark aquadrone of floating debris captured during a Trash Trapping Program mission in the Peter Street Basin on the Toronto waterfront. The materials collected by trash traps are counter and characterized by U of T Trash Team researchers. (CNW Group/PortsToronto)
Impressive Results
The program’s achievements speak volumes about its effectiveness. Between May and October 2024 alone, over 600 kilograms of anthropogenic debris—waste created by human activities—were removed from Toronto Harbour. This included more than 100,000 small pieces of plastic, such as bottle caps, foam fragments from food containers, cigarette butts, and even larger items like fatbergs. In earlier years, similar efforts removed tens of thousands of pieces of plastic annually, underscoring the program’s consistent impact.
Notably, the introduction of WasteSharks in 2023 proved particularly effective. In just three trials during their pilot phase, these aquadrones collected approximately 20 kilograms of marine debris. Combined with ongoing efforts by Seabins and other devices, the program has become a critical tool in reducing microplastics and other pollutants in Toronto’s waterways.
Research-Driven Innovation
A cornerstone of the Trash Trapping Program is its partnership with the University of Toronto Trash Team (U of T Trash Team). Researchers from the team meticulously analyse the materials collected by trash traps to identify sources and trends in pollution. This data-driven approach not only informs solutions-based research but also supports policy changes aimed at reducing waste at its source.
For instance, researchers have identified that much of the floating debris originates from stormwater run-off, industrial activities, and improperly managed waste bins near water edges. Insights like these have led to targeted community outreach programs designed to increase waste literacy and encourage better disposal practices.
Expanding Impact Beyond Toronto
The success of PortsToronto’s initiative has inspired similar programs across the Great Lakes region and beyond. As part of the International Trash Trapping Network led by Ocean Conservancy and U of T Trash Team, lessons learned from Toronto are being applied globally to combat plastic pollution in urban waterways.
Moreover, PortsToronto’s efforts align with broader strategies like the Toronto Inner Harbour Floatables Strategy. This collaborative framework brings together various stakeholders to reduce floating litter through innovative methods and strategic placement of trash traps.
Looking Ahead
As the program enters its seventh year in 2025, PortsToronto is set to expand its capabilities further. Plans include adding three new fixed trash-trapping devices to its existing fleet of seven Seabins and two WasteSharks. These additions will enhance coverage along Toronto’s waterfront and Outer Harbour Marina.
The continued success of this initiative underscores the importance of collective action in addressing environmental challenges. By combining cutting-edge technology with research-driven strategies and community engagement, PortsToronto is not only cleaning up local waterways but also setting a global example for sustainable urban water management.
RanMarine’s Autonomous Surface Vessels: Transforming Water Management in the UAE
Feb 2025
Dubai Burj Khalifa fountain
RanMarine Technology, a pioneer in autonomous water cleaning solutions, is making waves in the United Arab Emirates with its innovative Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs). The company’s WasteShark and MegaShark drones are transforming water management practices in marinas, harbours, and waterways across the region.
Smart Solutions for Smart Cities
As Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and other UAE locations continue to embrace smart city initiatives, RanMarine’s ASVs offer an intelligent approach to water cleaning and data collection. These drones not only remove floating waste and algae but can also be equipped with sensors to monitor water quality, supporting the UAE’s commitment to sustainable urban development.
Enhancing Marina and Golf Estate Environments
The first WasteShark, a 1.6-meter long marine drone, made its mark in Dubai Marina back in 2018. Capable of catching up to 160L of waste per trip and operating for 6-8 hours on a single emission-free battery charge, it continues to efficiently clean hard-to-reach areas between boats and piers. These ASVs are ideal solutions for the UAE’s numerous marinas, including the expansive Dubai Harbour with its 1,100 berths, or the 227-berth Yas Marina, home to Abu Dhabi’s F1 Circuit.
The Emirates’ prized golf estates with water features can also benefit from RanMarine’s technology. The ASVs can maintain the aesthetic appeal of these water bodies while ensuring their ecological health and monitoring pH levels and run-off from fertilized fairways, aligning with the UAE’s focus on responsible luxury developments.
WasteShark cruising the local marina
Advancing Aquatic Conservation
RanMarine’s partnership with RV Consultancy in the UAE, announced in November 2024, marked a significant step towards enhancing aquatic ecosystem health and supporting the nation’s sustainable tourism goals. This collaboration helps to address the UAE’s drive to deliver on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (SDG 14), which focuses on the conservation and sustainable use of oceans, seas, and marine resources.
The MegaShark: A Game-Changer for Larger Waterways
RanMarine’s latest commercial vessel, the MegaShark, offers even greater capacity for waste collection. This robust industrial aluminium vessel, with its ability to hold up to 880 litres or 440 kg of waste per trip, represents a five-fold increase over the WasteShark model. This makes it particularly suitable for larger waterways and coastal areas in the UAE.
By deploying these advanced ASVs, marina operators, coastal resorts, golf estates, and municipal authorities in the UAE can significantly improve their water management practices. This not only enhances the aesthetic appeal of these areas but also contributes to the broader goals of marine conservation and sustainable tourism.
Marina Maintenance: How Autonomous Surface Vessels are Making Waves
World Marina – Dec 2024
In the competitive world of marina management, maintaining pristine waters is more than just an environmental responsibility—it’s a business imperative. Innovative Autonomous Surface Vessels (ASVs) are transforming how marinas approach water cleanliness and environmental stewardship. These cutting-edge technologies offer a compelling solution to the persistent challenge of marine debris and water pollution in marinas.
ASVs can autonomously navigate through marina waters, efficiently collecting floating trash, plastics, and organic matter. Capable of removing significant quantities of waste daily, these vessels substantially reduce the manual labor traditionally required for water maintenance.
One of the key advantages of ASVs is their versatility. Their compact size allows them to access areas between docked boats and in tight corners where traditional cleaning methods struggle to reach. This ensures comprehensive coverage of the marina, leaving no area untouched in the pursuit of cleanliness.
Beyond debris collection, leading ASVs can serve as valuable data-gathering tools. When equipped with sensors, they can monitor water quality parameters in real-time, providing marina managers with crucial information about their aquatic environment. This data can be instrumental in identifying pollution sources and implementing targeted solutions.
The electric-powered operation of many ASVs aligns perfectly with the growing emphasis on sustainability in the marine industry. Their zero-emission functionality not only maintains clean waters but also contributes to a marina’s green credentials, potentially attracting environmentally conscious boat owners and visitors.
Importantly, ASVs operate quietly and unobtrusively, ensuring they don’t disturb marina patrons or wildlife. Their autonomous capability allows for continuous operation, maintaining water cleanliness round the clock without increasing labor costs.
By incorporating ASVs into their maintenance toolkit, marinas can demonstrate their commitment to innovation and environmental responsibility. This cutting-edge technology not only enhances the cleanliness and aesthetics of marina waters but also positions the marina as a leader in sustainable maritime practices.
Key Benefits of ASV Deployment in Marinas:
Efficient Debris Removal: Collects substantial amounts of waste daily.
Versatile Cleaning: Removes floating trash, plastics, and organic matter.
Access to Hard-to-Reach Areas: Cleans between docked boats and in tight spaces.
Environmental Data Collection: Possibility to gather real-time water quality data.
Autonomous Operation: Reduces labor costs and allows continuous cleaning.
