Invasive algae are reshaping reefs 🪸 Long-term data reveal the expansion of several invasive macroalgae. Continuous monitoring is essential to understand how these species transform Mediterranean reef ecosystems. #InvasiveSpecies #MarineBiodiversity #BioBoostPlus

Native habitat-formers are disappearing 🌿 Long-term monitoring shows that native canopy-forming brown algae remain restricted to a few refuges and display strong seasonal dynamics. These foundation species are increasingly threatened in the warming Levantine Sea. #MarineForests #ClimateChange

#AI accelerates biodiversity monitoring 🤖 Thousands of underwater #photoquadrats are analysed with the open-source platform #CoralNet. Computer vision dramatically speeds up benthic cover assessment, reduces observer bias, and enables consistent long-term #monitoring. #MarineEcology #BioBoostPlus

Monitoring change over time 📸 Since 2009 researchers from IOLR have monitored rocky reefs along Israel's Mediterranean coast using seasonal fish surveys & #photoquadrats. This long-term dataset reveals how rapidly benthic communities respond to warming and #BiologicalInvasions. #MarineMonitoring

A rapidly changing Mediterranean 🌡️ The SE Mediterranean is one of the world's fastest-changing marine regions. Ocean warming and #BiologicalInvasions are reshaping #reef ecosystems, with native species declining while tropical newcomers become increasingly dominant. #ClimateChange #Bioinvasions

Drawing on experiences from Bioboost+ & GuardIAS Project @guardias.bsky.social she emphasised that AI must be applied thoughtfully—its reliability depends on understanding how models work and on building high-quality, representative training datasets. #biodiversity #ArtificialIntelligence

Nord University – At the NOW 2026 Conference, Dr. L. Ribas-Deulofeu @ribas-deulofeu.bsky.social explored how AI can help close the gap between biodiversity monitoring & data availability, to support adaptive conservation & policy decisions. Credits: @isfold.bsky.social #MarineEcology #AI

Through the BioBoost+ project, both historical and newly collected samples are being digitised and analysed using AI-assisted approaches—combining computer vision and machine learning to accelerate data availability and support more responsive, adaptive management of marine ecosystems.

These new samples extend a remarkable long-term monitoring time series that began in 1983. #Biodiversity #OceanScience #Zooplankton #Arctic #FieldScience #ArtificiaIntelligence Credits: L. Ribas-Deulofeu, M. Krogstad

NORD activity – Zooplankton sampling in Sub-Arctic Fjord (Mistfjorden). Earlier in the year there were perfect conditions for Dr. Ribas-Deulofeu @ribas-deulofeu.bsky.social to sample zooplankton in the sub-Arctic fjord Mistfjord (Norway). #MarineEcology #Bioboostplus #Biodiversa

Two deep-learning models were tested: YOLOv8x and Faster R-CNN. Organisms were then tracked across video frames so each individual was counted only once per transect. #ComputerVision #ROV

The surveys covered the Basque continental shelf, using 42 ROV transects, ~20 hours of video, depths from 74–670 m, and HD/4K underwater imagery. The workflow focused on 13 ecologically relevant benthic taxa. #MarineBiodiversity

Can AI help us monitor life on the seafloor? In this BioBoost+ case study, the AZTI team tested computer vision to detect and count benthic taxa from ROV videos in the south-eastern Bay of Biscay. #BioBoostPlus #AZTI @azti.bsky.social

The camera is already capturing marine life at the site, including fish passing through the field of view. For #BioBoostPlus, this is a step toward non-invasive, high-frequency monitoring of #MarineBiodiversity using digital imagery in a conservation-relevant area. #AlonissosMarinePark #AegeanSea

Deploying marine monitoring equipment is practical, technical work. It takes careful diving, local knowledge, teamwork, and continued support after installation. IKION Dive Centre provided critical support in safely placing the system and will continue assisting with monitoring the setup.

The deployment was carried out by Dr @jennieacp.bsky.social and Giannis Koutoulakis, with essential field assistance from IKION Diving Centre.

New eyes under the sea in Alonissos Marine Park. The University of the Aegean BioBoost+ team, led by Prof. @skatsanevakis.bsky.social , has installed an underwater camera system & buoy at the Alonissos site. #MPA #MarineBiodiversity #MarineMonitoring #UnderwaterCamera #AegeanSea #MarineScience

First-week highlights: our octopus “technician” 🐙 (including right on the camera) and a sighting of the invasive dusky spinefoot (Siganus luridus). Next: 2 more systems planned for Crete + Alonissos in the new year. @jennieacp.bsky.social @skatsanevakis.bsky.social #InvasiveSpecies #AegeanSea

Underwater install shots 📷: preparing the system and mounting the camera housing + survey frame so the imagery is standardised and comparable through time—key for long-term monitoring and automated analysis. #UnderwaterImaging #OceanMonitoring #BioBoostPlus

Deployed ✅ Our partners from University of the Aegean reef station is live: a Raspberry Pi camera/computing system + solar buoy sending reef images continuously. Built on a small budget to make monitoring more affordable—now we’re testing real-world durability + uptime. #MarineScience #Bioboostplus

Divers in action for BioBoost+: collecting samples + standardised seafloor images with survey frames to train/validate #AI tools for marine biodiversity monitoring. 📷 Credit: Guy Raanan @rilovlab.bsky.social @iolr-il.bsky.social #RilovLab #BioBoostPlus #MarineScience #UnderwaterImaging

📸 The NIOZ underwater lab in action — seen here at low tide. Used to test how different restoration strategies affect benthic biodiversity, it’s fully submerged at high tide, allowing natural water exchange & selective colonisation . @niozsearesearch.bsky.social #BioBoostPlus #MarineMonitoring

🦞 A lobster encounter in Lake Grevelingen! While surveying benthic biodiversity for #BioBoostPlus WP2, @NIOZ_Netherlands researchers caught this Homarus gammarus on ROV. Restoration work meets AI + imaging. 🎥 Credit: Zhiyuan Zhao @niozsearesearch.bsky.social #MarineScience #ROV #Biodiversity

A photo of the lab bench showing the full setup for digitalising zooplankton samples (from sieving and sub-sampling to plate preparation, scanning, and computer processing #AI4Oceans #MarineBiodiversity #OceanMonitoring

🎥 Here’s ZooImage in action: segmenting and measuring zooplankton from scanned samples — part of a 40+ year time series from Norwegian fjords. @ribas-deulofeu.bsky.social visited @azti.bsky.social to help build AI tools for faster biodiversity monitoring. #BioBoostPlus #AI4Oceans #Zooplankton

From sieving and sub-sampling to scanning and segmentation — here’s the full lab setup in action at AZTI. 🧪 Cross-border collaboration like this pushes marine science forward. #MarineScience #ArcticEcosystems #BioBoostPlus #OceanMonitoring

🧠 This combination of remote exploration and AI image analysis accelerates our ability to monitor biodiversity in complex reef habitats — supporting conservation and management. 🎥 Watch the ROV dive (below) + see how we annotate in RoboFlow (above).

🟡 Using RoboFlow to ID key species like Axinella cannabina (crucial to Mediterranean benthic ecosystems) from ROV footage in Torre Guaceto (Italy). Tech meets conservation under the sea! 🎥 Marine Ecology Lab, Univ. of Naples Federico II #ROV #AI4Oceans #MarineScience #BioBoostPlus #Sponges

🧠 CoralNet in action! Here’s how the Marine Ecology Lab UNINA is using #AI-powered #photoquadrat analysis to identify coralligenous assemblages. 📸 Credit: Marzia Cianflone, Fraschetti - Marine Ecology Lab, Univ. of Naples Federico II #MarineScience #Coralligenous #BioBoost+

Testing a YOLO-based computer vision model to ID 13 benthic species from underwater images. It boosts automated species recognition, aiding large-scale biodiversity monitoring & better marine conservation. @azti.bsky.social #AI4Oceans #BenthicEcology #MarineScience #BioBoost+