Plankton and organic particles take up carbon from the atmosphere, transporting it from the water’s surface to the deep sea. As a result, the Earth’s climate is heavily influenced by life in the water. The AqQua project aims to determine how many of these microscopic organisms exist globally, how they are distributed, and how these patterns are changing due to climate change. Researchers are analyzing billions of images for this purpose. The Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative (HFMI) is funding the project. Hereon is involved through its Institute for Carbon Cycles.
To assess the role of aquatic life in climate regulation and human food resources, precise monitoring is needed. Recently, aquatic life has been observed using imaging techniques, which provide data on biodiversity and the functioning of food webs and ecosystems, even in the deep sea. However, global data have not been comparable, and there has been a lack of training images. As a result, a comprehensive analysis has not been possible.
Building a new AI model
AqQua aims to fill this gap. The name stands for The Aquatic Life Foundation: Quantifying Life at Scale in a Changing World. The project involves compiling billions of images and using high-performance computers to train the first foundational AI model for pelagic imaging. Pelagic imaging is a method used to capture images and data from all water bodies in aquatic habitats, both in oceans and freshwater. So-called Foundation models represent a new generation of AI models with a broad knowledge base. They are significantly more powerful and flexible than traditional AI models, making them highly promising for modern, data-driven science. These models are capable of answering complex research questions. The project team will receive funding from the Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative to build the foundation model AqQua.
The project team will receive funding from the Helmholtz Foundation Model Initiative to build the foundation model AqQua.
HereonKlas Ove Möller
Source:
https://hereon.de/institutes/carbon_cycles/index.php.en
