Recently, a MoU has been signed between UCA and UNIPA (Universitas Papua, Indonesia) in partnership with Missol foundation to initiate a scientific cooperation to determine the state of the coral reefs via the deployment of an artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm that analyses and extract physiology-related information from photos of coral colonies.

This international cooperation integrates the IDEX UCAjedi thesis by Megan Clampitt, IRCAN (former MSC MARRES student) and a long-lasting collaboration between IRCAN and the MSI (House of Simulations and Interactions, UCA) on the Tara-Pacific project.

The initial development of this algorithm was made thanks to the wealth of data acquired during the Tara Pacific expedition (2016-2018), and in particular a manual annotation of 14,000+ images of coral colonies. In order to optimize this algorithm and to deploy this innovative and non-invasive approach Megan, Eric Gilson and Eric Röttinger (IRCAN) are currently in West Papua, to image coral colonies together with colleagues and  students from UNIPA around Manokwari, as well as within the Marine Protected Area of South-Misool with managers & rangers fo this MPA. Furthermore, Aldine Amiel (IRCAN) in partnership with the french non-profit organisation Kahi Kai, has joined the field work to develop outreach material in close relation with the Misool Foundation, to communicate about this project in France and Indonesia and sensitise about the importance of coral reefs for human health and wellbeing. This project in its initial phase has received the strong support from the IDEX UCAjedi via the MSI, UCA via a CSI, the Région SUD via its exploratory program as well as UNIPA and the Misool Foundation in the Raja Ampat.

More information to come soon.