The marine science community is engaged in the exploration and monitoring of biodiversity dynamics, with a special interest for understanding the ecosystem functioning and for tracking the growing anthropogenic impacts. The accurate monitoring of marine ecosystems requires the development of innovative and effective technological solutions to allow the remote and continuous collection of data. To achieve this goal, novel technologies for the continuous monitoring of natural ecosystems are urgently needed and video-based observations are increasingly being considered among the most promising tools for a non-invasive environmental monitoring. Within this context, the GUARD1intelligent imaging device (European Patent EP 2863257 B1[1]) has been specifically conceived for long-term deployments as equipment of mobile platforms (e.g. AUV, USV, Argo Float, drifter buoys) as well as stand-alone and wired observatories (e.g. oceanographic moorings, landers, cabled observatories). The system has been developed in cooperation with OnAIR srl software company expert in AI-based solutions and co-owner, together with CNR, of the European Patent EP 2863257 B1 on which the GUARD1 imaging device is based and OEngeenirieng srl, licensed developer of the hardware components of the imaging device GUARD1.