A memory trainer for rapid field identification of reef fish species on Indonesian reefs

第六次大灭绝正在发生，但谁在看？除了科学家之外，还有热心人士为公民科学数据库做出贡献。如今，许多人将使用智能手机应用程序来识别生物体，记录它们的声音，拍摄照片或视频，并上传带有GPS位置和时间的材料。识别随后由AI系统和专家确认或重新识别。不幸的是，这只适用于陆地环境。在珊瑚礁生态系统中，典型的潜水员或浮潜者不能使用书籍，智能手机，GPS或互联网。不可避免的结论是，观察者“必须”用心了解和识别物种。申请人开发了一种学习工具，可在参观珊瑚礁之前记住鱼类物种名称。它使用了一个公开的平台（ANKI），旨在生成用户友好的，数字抽认卡甲板与自己的高品质自然光图片。我们的第一个产品是“珊瑚礁鱼教练红海”，涵盖425种，现在已经上线。在过去的5年里，这套套牌已经过生物学学生的测试和优化。它强烈地激励他们成为鉴定专家，而仍然在图宾根，随后给了他们极大的满足感，当他们认识到大多数鱼类在他们的第一次前往红海。这一事实促使申请人在即将到来的2023-24年休假期间为印度尼西亚开发珊瑚礁鱼类训练器。从以前的印度尼西亚之旅的图片集表明，最终甲板上有800-1000个物种是现实的。然而，由于一些常见物种仍然缺失，许多物种的图片质量很差，因此需要大幅提高覆盖率和质量。申请人相信，他能够在北苏拉威西邦加岛的珊瑚眼停留两个月期间收集足够的材料，为印度尼西亚制作一份全面、高质量的“全套”材料。我们的目标是深入了解常见物种及其阶段和颜色变化，并尽可能增加稀有物种。新的Reef Fish Trainer Indonesia预计将于2024年3月上线，并将取代目前在线的初步版本（247种）。通过迈出这一重要的第一步，我们希望与国际和当地大学、珊瑚礁保护组织和水下摄影师建立合作关系。鉴于鱼类训练师的基本知识可以用于任何可以在现场识别的生物群，我们将很乐意与任何感兴趣的人分享我们的专业知识。

The 6th mass extinction is happening, but who is watching? In addition to scientists, it is enthusiasts who contribute to Citizen Science databases. Many nowadays will use smartphone apps that identify organisms, record their sound, take photos or videos, and upload this material with GPS location and time. The identifications are subsequently confirmed or re-identified by AI systems and specialists. Unfortunately, this only works in terrestrial environments. In reef ecosystems the typical diver or snorkeler cannot use a book, smartphone, GPS or internet. The inevitable conclusion is that observers “must” know and recognise species by heart. The applicant developed a learning tool that allows to memorise fish species names before visiting a reef. It uses a publicly available platform (ANKI) designed to generate user-friendly, digital flashcard decks with own high-quality natural-light pictures. Our first product is the “Reef Fish Trainer Red Sea” which covers 425 species and is now online. This deck has been tested and optimised with biology students over the last 5 years. It strongly motivated them to become identification specialists while still in Tübingen, and subsequently gave them great satisfaction when they recognised most fishes on their first trip to the Red Sea. This fact motivated the applicant to develop a Reef Fish Trainer for Indonesia during his upcoming sabbatical 2023-24. Picture sets from previous trips to Indonesia indicate that a final deck with 800-1000 species is realistic. However, since some common species are still missing, and picture quality is poor for many species, a substantial boost to increase coverage and quality is required. The applicant is confident that he is able to collect enough material during a 2-months stay at Coral Eye on Bangka Island in North-Sulawesi to produce a comprehensive, high-quality “full deck” for Indonesia. The goal is to reach an in-depth coverage of the common species and their stage and colour variations, and to add as many rare species as possible. The new Reef Fish Trainer Indonesia is predicted to be online in March 2024, and will replace the preliminary version currently online (247 species). By making this big first step, we want to establish cooperations with international and local universities, reef protection organisations and underwater photographers. Given that the basics of the fish trainer can be used for any organismal group that can be identified in the field, we will happily share our expertise to anyone interested.