CMMI hosts first study visit in Cyprus

An incredible week of collaboration and discovery with the AXOLOTL project team! Sharing memories of our first study visit which took place from October 15 to 18, 2024 with consortium partners in Cyprus.The visit was an essential step in reinforcing our European partnership, exchanging expertise and experience, and setting a strong foundation for the project’s ambitious roadmap.

Aligned with advancing maritime conservation and surveillance with cutting-edge AI, here are the highlights of our visit:

Day 1, kicked off with an overview of research initiatives and an introduction to the data collection strategy for satellite imaging, as well as a presentation on techniques to enhance low-resolution images with super-resolution (SR) techniques to better monitor maritime and marine environments.

Day 2, featured sessions on underwater soundscape analysis to track biodiversity and detect human-made noise. Midday featured an engaging Blue Cafe session with the students of Alexander College where AXOLOTL researchers connected with students, introducing them to the project’s objectives and the transformative role of artificial intelligence in marine conservation and maritime surveillance.  The afternoon continued with a session on deep learning models for sound classification.

In the evening, the Launch Event was attended by officials, including HE, Mrs Clélia Chevrier Kolačko, Ambassador of France to Cyprus, and key stakeholders from academia, industry and research. A panel on “Deep Learning & AI: Advancing Marine Conservation & Maritime Surveillance” set the stage for vibrant discussions on the future of AI in maritime surveillance and marine conservation. Thank you to Nicolas Courty, Rune Lagaisse, Elisabeth Debusschere and Neofytos Dimitriou for taking the stage.

Day 3 explored experiences in acoustic monitoring and deployment strategies for hydrophones as well as techniques for imaging data and AIS to monitor shipping traffic and enhance marine protected areas. Partners also visited the Ayia Napa Marina and received a briefing about the MDigi-I project.

Day 4, wrapped up with an outline of international networking goals, publishing strategies, and steps for the next project phase.