In a significant stride towards promoting citizen science initiatives in marine fisheries research, the ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) has unveiled the innovative mobile app, ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’. This user-friendly application, launched on Monday, aims to engage the public in contributing valuable data towards understanding and conserving marine biodiversity.
‘MARLIN@CMFRI’ empowers users to effortlessly upload photos of marine fish species encountered within the vast Indian Exclusive Economic Zone. Through this collective effort, the app aspires to build a comprehensive visual repository of marine fishery resources, enriching scientific knowledge and aiding in species identification.
One of the distinguishing features of the app is its emphasis on scientific accuracy. Users are encouraged to provide detailed species information, ensuring the integrity of the database. This meticulously curated data will serve as the foundation for developing an advanced AI-powered system for automated identification of marine fishery resources.
Dr. Gopalakrishnan, Director of CMFRI, hailed the app as a collaborative platform uniting individuals passionate about marine conservation. He highlighted how ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’ bridges the gap between citizen science and cutting-edge technology, transforming every user into a vital contributor to the preservation of marine biodiversity.
The development of the app was spearheaded by Dr. Eldho Varghese at the Fishery Resources Assessment, Economics, and Extension division of CMFRI. Dr. Varghese underscored the app’s potential in revolutionizing marine fishery research, particularly in estimating fish landings through visual images captured at landing centres, leveraging advanced AI-driven Deep Learning algorithms.
With ‘MARLIN@CMFRI’, CMFRI envisions a future where scientific research is democratized, with public participation driving meaningful contributions to marine conservation efforts. This innovative initiative promises to enhance our understanding of marine ecosystems and foster sustainable management practices for the benefit of present and future generations.
