MARE researcher wins FLAD Award Atlantic 23

MARE researcher José Ricardo Paula is the winner of the 4th edition of the FLAD Science Award Atlantic.

The researcher will receive an award of 300,000 euros over three years to develop a project that contributes to understanding the role of cleaning mutualisms in biodiversity conservation. To this end, the AtlanticDiversea project uses emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

"Cleaning mutualisms are these co-operative interactions that take place between very small fish, called cleaner fish, which exist all over the world and which clean other fish," explains José Ricardo Paula. "When these fish are removed from ecosystems in certain areas of the world, the biodiversity and abundance of other fish decreases dramatically."

To find out how these mutualisms shape biodiversity over time, José Ricardo Paula and his team of researchers are using tools based on artificial intelligence and advanced camera technologies.

"We now have part of the team doing dives, already in Sesimbra and the Algarve, and we are already determining the role of the abundance of some Portuguese species," says the researcher. "We've also been analysing global data in ecosystems that have little human influence. It's critical to have cleaner fish, but as soon as the human impact is too great, this effect begins to diminish." For José Ricardo Paula, this means that cleaner fish can be used as an end point for improving ecosystems.

The AtlenticDiversea project also has the collaboration of the University of Hawaii, which, according to the MARE researcher, "has been crucial in helping us develop both the artificial intelligence model and the advanced camera technology".

The FLAD Science Award Atlantic aims to promote a new generation of Portuguese scientists by supporting projects focussed on achieving practical results, such as the creation of engineering and technology that facilitate understanding of Atlantic ecosystems. For MARE researcher José Ricardo Paula, "the advantage of this FLAD award compared to other types of funding is that it gives us the tools to work without any barriers".

Watch the project video HERE