Strategic development of the innovative in-line plankton image analysis (PIA) system to fit policy and ecosystem modelling data needs

虽然浮游动物对海洋食物网的良好运作1至关重要，而且对环境变化2很敏感，但由于通常用于监测它们的方法成本高昂3，对它们的研究仍然不足。这一及时项目的目的是交付并证明一个急需的浮游动物分析自主系统4。该学生主要在Cefas工作，通过参加Cefas Endeavour房车的调查，将获得丰富的海上工作经验。他/她还将与菲尔·卡尔弗豪斯一起至少花3个月的时间提供数据的统计后处理，以将PIA的实用程序扩展到最终用户。学生将深入了解用于实施PIA硬件和软件的技术和技术，从光学和计算机视觉到人工智能和统计方法，包括接收器操作员曲线(ROC)。机器人和自主系统是普利茅斯大学的优先事项。基础完善的机器人和神经系统中心(CRNS)在计算机科学、认知机器人和神经计算方面具有世界领先的国际卓越水平。CRNS的高度跨学科方法包括与认知和海洋研究所的合作。皮特伊斯和马林(Cefas，UEA)在这一合作中基本上是“最终用户”。他们还将确保学生采用良好的科学实践，并获得所需的分类学、实验和统计数据分析技能，以采样和识别PIA派生数据中的海洋浮游动物。她/他将有机会体验政策要求的研究应用。学生将学习如何对浮游动物的分类特征和丰度数据进行生态分析，并发布结果，从而增加海洋生态学的最新水平。学生将有权使用所有三个学院的成员、设施和活动。他/她将被鼓励分析复杂的局势，并将有令人兴奋的机会推动PIA的发展。考虑到这项工作分为仪器开发、实地数据收集、管理和分析以及理论建模，四年的学习时间是合适的。上述广告描述中的目标旨在为培训和自主发展提供很大的空间。除了UEA提供的DTP-COART和PPD培训外，这名学生还将成为Cefas科学发展小组监督的研究生课程的一部分。这确保了在整个项目期间对学生资格进行个别监测，在CEFAS管理系统上进行识别，并遵守定期审查程序。将通过在国家会议(如CEFAS、挑战者协会)和国际会议(如ICES)，以及在CEFA、UEA和其他利益攸关方举办的地方会议和研讨会上发表演讲，进一步发展学生的沟通和网络技能。重要的是，我们将为学生提供将研究转化为实践的培训。所有CEFA学生都被邀请订阅该学生的社交网络用户组。他们还在一年一度的学生日举办年度研讨会，包括内部和外部主管。

Whilst zooplankton are critical for good functioning of marine food webs1 and sensitive to environmental changes2 they remain understudied because of the high costs of the methods generally used to monitor them3. The aim of this timely project is to deliver and prove a much-needed autonomous system for zooplankton analysis4. Primarily based at Cefas, the student will gain extensive experience in sea-going work through taking part in surveys on RV Cefas Endeavour. He/she will also spend at least 3 months with Phil Culverhouse on providing statistical post-processing of data to extend the PIA's utility to end-users. The student will gain in-depth understanding of the techniques and technology used to implement the PIA hardware and software, from optics and computer vision to AI and statistical methods, including Receiver Operator Curves (ROC). Robotics and autonomous systems are a priority for Plymouth University. The well-founded Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems (CRNS) is recognised for world-leading, international excellence in computer science, cognitive robotics and neural computation. CRNS's highly interdisciplinary approach includes collaboration with the Cognition and Marine Institutes. Pitois and Malin (Cefas, UEA) are essentially 'end-users' in this collaboration. They will also ensure the student adopts good scientific practice, and gains the taxonomic, experimental and statistical data analysis skills required to sample and identify marine zooplankton in PIA-derived data. She/he will have the opportunity to experience research application to policy requirements. The student will learn how to do ecological analysis on zooplankton taxonomic identity and abundance data and publish results thereby adding to the state of the art in marine ecology. The student will have access to the members, facilities and activities of all three Institutes. He/she will be encouraged to analyse complex situations and will have the exciting opportunity to drive the development of the PIA. A four-year duration studentship is appropriate given that the work is split between instrument development, field data collection, management and analysis, and theoretical modelling. The objectives in the advertising description above aredesigned to give substantial scope for both training and independent development. Alongside DTP-cohort and PPD training provided by UEA, the student will be part of the graduate programme overseen by Cefas' Science Development Panel. This ensures studentships are monitored individually, identified on Cefas management systems and subject to regular review procedures throughout the duration of the project. Development of the student's communication and networking skills will be furthered through giving presentations at national (e.g. CEFAS, Challenger Society) and international conferences (e.g. ICES), and local meetings and seminars at Cefas, UEA and those run by other stakeholders. Importantly, we will provide the student with training on translating research into practice. All Cefas students are invited to subscribe to the student's social network user-group. They also deliver an annual seminar at the annual student day, that includes their internal and external supervisors.