Optimising marine image capture and analysis from autonomous underwater vehicles (MICA)

在苏格兰，鲑鱼养殖目前包括230多个地点，从南部的洛赫费恩到北部的设得兰群岛。该行业寻求扩张，到2030年经济价值翻一番。鲑鱼养殖场的碎屑（有机物）散布在网箱周围，其程度取决于接收环境（深度、当地水流状况等），这种物质对海底的影响各不相同。苏格兰监管机构（SEPA）及其顾问（MICA-partners，NatureScot）必须确保该部门的可持续性，并且接收环境不会受到超出当地范围的不利影响。特别令人关切的是优先海洋特征，这些特征是被认为高度敏感、稀有和/或提供关键生态系统功能的个体分类群/生境。PMF的例子范围之间的珊瑚Swiftia物种的个人敏感的生物礁，如贻贝床和maerl。该部门（行业和监管机构）需要非破坏性的，规模适当的方法来识别和映射PMF。学生最初将专注于开发创新的机器辅助方法来绘制蓝贻贝和马贻贝珊瑚礁的位置，这两种珊瑚礁都是SAMS的本地珊瑚礁（https：//marinescotland.atkinsgeospatial.com/nmpi/）（例如，洛克斯莱万和克雷兰）。在调查资源/合作伙伴的投入允许的情况下，我们的调查将扩展到梅尔。

salmon farming, in Scotland, currently encompasses >230 sites, from Loch Fyne in the south to Shetland in the North. The industry seeks to expand, doubling economic value by 2030. The detritus from salmon farms (organic matter) is dispersed around the fish-cages to an extent that is determined by the receiving environment (depth, local current regime etc) and this material variously impacts the seabed. The Scottish regulator (SEPA) and their advisors (MICA-partners, NatureScot) are required to ensure sustainability of the sector and that the receiving environment is not adversely affected beyond local scales. Of particular concern are priority marine features (PMFs) which are individual taxa/biotopes considered to be highly sensitive, rare and/or which provide critical ecosystem functions. Examples of PMFs range between individuals of the coral Swiftia sp to sensitive biogenic reefs such as mussel-beds and maerl. The sector (industry and regulators) needs non-destructive, scale-appropriate methods for identifying and mapping PMFs. The student will initially focus on developing innovative, machine-assisted approaches to mapping the locations of blue- and horse-mussel reefs, both of which are local to SAMS (https://marinescotland.atkinsgeospatial.com/nmpi/) (e.g., Lochs Levan and Creran). Our surveys will extend to maerl as surveying resources/partner input allows.