GREEK PHD RESEARCH ADVANCES AI FOR MARINE BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

Greek PhD research advances AI for marine biodiversity conservation. Research presented at Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi and published in Elsevier’s internationally recognised journal Ecological Informatics.

A significant achievement for Greek marine research has been marked by the online publication of the scientific paper “AI-based automated monitoring of the invasive pearl oyster (Pinctada radiata) in the Aegean Sea using underwater surveys” in Ecological Informatics, Elsevier’s internationally recognised journal focusing on ecological informatics, computational ecology, and artificial intelligence applications in environmental sciences.

The publication forms part of the PhD research of Dimitrios Pafras, conducted under the supervision of Associate Professor Dimitrios Klaoudatos, and presents an innovative approach that combines Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Learning, and Computer Vision for the automated monitoring of the invasive pearl oyster (Pinctada radiata) through underwater surveys in the Aegean Sea.

The proposed methodology enables the automatic detection, identification, and quantification of the species from underwater imagery, offering an advanced digital tool for marine biodiversity monitoring and supporting the management of invasive marine species in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Prior to its publication, the research was presented at the Marine AI and Robotics for Innovation and Sustainability: Advancing Intelligence to Preserve Marine Biodiversity (MARIS-AI) symposium, hosted by Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The symposium brought together leading researchers working at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Marine Science, providing an international platform for showcasing emerging technologies for marine conservation.

The publication of this work in Ecological Informatics highlights the scientific quality of the research and demonstrates the growing contribution of Greek researchers to the development of AI-driven solutions for environmental monitoring and marine ecosystem management.

The study was authored by Dimitrios Pafras, Dimitrios Politikos, Alexandros Theocharis, and Dimitrios Klaoudatos.

Images: Dimitrios Pafras