Working Group: Towards best practices using Imaging Systems for Monitoring Plankton
Terms of Reference
  1. Summarize recent advances and limitations of imaging systems for plankton monitoring.
  2. Develop a framework to compare different imaging systems with traditional net samples and identify the taxa that different imaging systems can effectively monitor.
  3. Review potential deployment platforms for different imaging systems.
  4. Establish a standard protocol to compare different machine learning algorithms for plankton recognition and enumeration.
  5. Build common libraries and testing datasets for different machine learning algorithms.
  6. Build a network of scientists deploying imaging systems to monitor plankton within PICES countries.
  7. Promote international collaborations among plankton monitoring programs through international organizations such as PICES and ICES.
  8. Publish a final report summarizing results.
Working Plan
Year 1 (2021)
  1. WG meeting (Zoom meeting)
    • Discuss schedules, plans, and contributors for terms of reference and deliverables.
    • Discuss schedules and plans of symposium during the next PICES annual meeting in Canada.
  2. PICES workshop (during PICES annual meeting: Japan)
    • Summarize developments and limitations of imaging systems for plankton monitoring.
    • Develop the recommendations and standardized protocols for comparing net-based and imaging systems.
    • Summarize imaging systems that are readily available for plankton monitoring and identify the taxa that could be effectively monitored by different systems.
    • Review available deployment platforms for different systems.
  3. Contact Information
    • Make a list of experts on plankton imaging systems and plankton monitoring among PICES nations.
  4. Review articles
    • Preliminary review of the advantages and limitations of different imaging systems for plankton monitoring and identify data availability for a comparison study between net-based methods and one or two selected imaging systems.
Year 2 (2022)
  1. WG meeting (Zoom meeting)
    • Revise schedules and discuss plans for terms of reference and deliverables.
    • Preliminary review of the results from the monitoring study using net-based methods and imaging systems.
    • Review available machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
  2. Special session on plankton monitoring using imaging systems
    • Expand the list of experts on plankton imaging systems and plankton monitoring to ICES and other countries.
    • Further identify data availability for comparison between different imaging systems and nets.
    • Review the applications of imaging systems for plankton monitoring around the globe.
  3. PICES symposium (during PICES annual meeting)
    • Overview plankton monitoring program around the PICES countries.
    • Overview machine learning for plankton identification and enumeration.
    • Develop protocols and standard libraries to test and compare the performance of different algorithms.
  4. Contact information
    • Expand the list of contact information on experts on plankton imaging, image processing, and plankton monitoring in PICES and ICES nations, and post the list on PICES website.
  5. Review articles
    • Review different machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration
    • Compare the performance of different algorithm using standard libraries.
Year 3 (2023)
  1. WG meeting (just before or after PICES annual meeting)
    • Make a draft of PICES scientific report, including the following information on imaging systems for plankton monitoring.
    • Review of the limitations and advantages using imaging systems for plankton monitoring.
    • Review of potential deployment platforms for different imaging systems.
    • Review of available machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
    • Recommendations and standardized protocols for the deployment of imaging systems.
    • Recommendations and standardized libraries and protocols for comparing different machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
  2. Sessions for PICES annual meeting
    • Integrate imaging systems into existing plankton monitoring programs.
    • Different platforms for monitoring plankton using imaging systems.
    • Standard protocol and library for comparing different plankton identification and enumeration procedures.
  3. Review articles
    • Submit, revise, and publish the review articles on monitoring plankton using imaging systems with results from case studies.
  4. PICES scientific report
    • Submit a final scientific report to PICES.
Deliverables
  1. Reports or peer-reviewed articles summarizing the advances and limitations of plankton imaging systems and machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
  2. Guidelines on recommendations and procedures for monitoring plankton using imaging systems on PICES website.
  3. Lists of contact information of experts on plankton imaging systems and plankton monitoring among PICES and ICES nations.
  4. Standard libraries and protocols to test and compare different machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
  5. A final report summarizing the results of the WG as a Scientific Report in PICES.
Capacity Building
  1. Exploring the potential of monitoring plankton using imaging systems such that scientists and managers can obtain in situ near-real time information.
  2. Building a platform to facilitate the exchange of information and collaboration among scientists working on plankton monitoring programs and plankton imaging systems within ICES and PICES nations, as well as in developing countries.
  3. Establishing standard libraries and protocols to test and compare different machine learning algorithms for plankton identification and enumeration.
  4. Convening international symposiums, sessions, and workshops to explore the feasibility of monitoring plankton using imaging systems and applications of machine algorithms, in both ICES/PICES annual meetings and international conferences such as ASLO.
News
  • Changes within WG 48 Membership (additional Co-Chairs): Drs. Xuemin Cheng (China) and David Kimmel (USA) were elected as WG-48 Co-Chairs.
    12/29/2022 4:28:24 PM PST
  • Changes within Working Group 48 Membership (USA) Dr. Alexis Fisher stepped down as a member of WG-48.
    8/5/2022 2:23:54 PM PST
  • Changes within Working Group 48 Membership (Japan): Dr. Dhugal Lindsay and Prof. Kazutaka Takahashi are new members of WG-48.
    6/15/2022 11:00:37 AM PST
  • Changes within Working Group 48 Membership (USA): Drs. David Kimmel, Julie Keister, Mark Benfield, and Rob Campbell (USA) are new members of WG-48.
    2/9/2022 7:13:23 PM PST
  • Working Group 48 Membership (Japan) Dr. Satoshi Kitajima is a newly appointed member of the WG-48.
    3/18/2021 9:53:01 AM PST

    • More News

Members
Dr. Joseph Needoba (WG-48)
Ocean Networks Canada
University of Victoria Queenswood Campus #100-2474 Arbutus Road
Victoria, BC
Canada V8N 1V8
(236) 638-1940
Dr. Akash Sastri (AP-NPCOOS, BIO, WG-48, WG-54)
Fisheries and Ocean Canada
Institute of Ocean Sciences
9860 West Saanich Rd., P.O. Box 6000
Sidney, BC
Canada V8L 4B2
(778) 677 1226
Akash.Sastri@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
Dr. Xuemin Cheng (WG-48)
WG-48 Co-Chair
Shenzhen International Graduate School
Tsinghua University
University Town of Shenzhen, Nanshan District
Shenzhen, China, PR 518055
enter phone
chengxm@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn
Dr. Haifeng Gu (WG-48)
Third Institute of Oceanography
Ministry of Natural Resources
178#, Daxue Road
Xiamen, Siming District
China, PR 361005
86-592-2195175
guhaifeng@tio.org.cn
Prof. Haiyong Zheng (WG-48)
College of Electronic Engineering
Ocean University of China
No. 1299 Sansha Road
Qingdao, Shandong
China, PR 266404
86-532-66783992
zhenghaiyong@ouc.edu.cn
Dr. Satoshi Kitajima (SG-NPESR4, WG-48)
Fisheries Resources Institute
Japan Fisheries Research and Education Agency (FRA)
1551-8 Taira-machi
Nagasaki, Nagasaki
Japan 851-2213
(81-95) 860-1636
kitajima_satoshi85@fra.go.jp
Dr. Dhugal John Lindsay (WG-48, WG-54)
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)
2-15 Natsushima-cho
Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Japan 237-0061
+81-46-867-9563
dhugal@jamstec.go.jp
Prof. Kazutaka Takahashi (WG-48, WG-54)
Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences
The University of Tokyo
1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo
Tokyo, Japan 113-8657
81-3-5841-5290
kazutakahashi@g.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp
Prof. Wongyu Park (WG-48)
Department of Marine Biology
Pukyong National University
45 Yongso-ro, Nam-gu
Busan, Korea, R 48513
(82-51) 629-5928
(82-51) 629-5930
wpark@pknu.ac.kr
Dr. Piotr Margonski (WG-48)
ex-officio, represents ICES in WG-48
National Marine Fisheries Research Institute
Kollataja 1
Gdynia, Poland 81-332
+48 58 7356134
pmargon@mir.gdynia.pl
Dr. Mark C. Benfield (WG-48)
Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Louisiana State University
2179 Energy, Coast & Environment Bldg.
Baton Rouge, LA
U.S.A. 70803
(1-225) 578-6372
(1-225) 578-6513
mbenfie@lsu.edu
Prof. Hongsheng Bi (WG-48, WG-54)
WG-54 Co-Chair, WG-48 Co-Chair
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
146 William St
Solomons, MD
U.S.A. 20688
410-326-7249
hbi@umces.edu
Dr. Robert William Campbell (WG-48, WG-54)
Prince William Sound Science Center
P.O. Box 705
Cordova, AK
U.S.A. 99574
(1-907) 424-5800 x267
(1-907) 424-5820
rcampbell@pwssc.org
Dr. Julie E. Keister (BIO, WG-48, WG-54)
BIO Vice-Chair
Alaska Fisheries Science Center
NOAA
7600 Sand Point Way N.E.
Seattle, WA
U.S.A. 98115
(1-206) 707-2674
julie.keister@noaa.gov
Dr. David G Kimmel (BIO, WG-48, WG-54)
WG-48 Co-Chair
Alaska Fisheries Science Center
NOAA
7600 Sand Point Way NE
Seattle, WA
U.S.A. 98115
1 206 526 4470
1 206 526 6723
david.kimmel@noaa.gov
Products
Annual Meetings

Reports

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021

Session and Workshop Summaries

PICES-2024:
S13, Rapid plankton assessment for ecosystem assessment

PICES-2023:
S2, Applications of Deep Learning Systems in Marine Science

PICES-2022:
W1, Distributions of pelagic, demersal, and benthic species associated with seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean and factors influencing their distributions
S2, Application and best practice of imaging technologies for plankton and ecosystem monitoring

Symposia / Inter-sessional Workshops

OT03: Towards best practices for using imaging systems for plankton monitoring
AGU/ASLO/TOS 2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 24–March 4, 2022, Honolulu, USA

Peer-reviewed Papers
Bi et al. Temporal characteristics of plankton indicators in coastal waters: High frequency data from PlanktonScope. Journal of Sea Research, Volume 189, 2022, 102283, ISSN 1385-1101 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seares.2022.102283 (Open Access)