Project MEEMO

Increase quality scientific production oriented towards intelligent specialization. The MONICET platform, in operation since 2009, is the only one in the world to bring together, in a collaborative and open way, the observations and photographs made by cetacean observation companies. It is intended to enhance the scientific (long-term time series analysis), business (app development) and civic (collaborative photo-identification tool) use of this platform, thus giving a worldwide prominence to the activity and the Azores.

The project has two main objectives.

The first is to increase the relevance of the MONICET platform for scientific research in cetacean ecology and as a monitoring tool for decision making. This will be achieved by developing mathematical tools to analyze temporal trends in the occurrence of cetaceans in the Azores in relation to oceanographic, atmospheric and anthropogenic variables, including the evaluation of the time scale that maximizes the respective effect.

The second is to increase the participation of companies in MONICET by adding value to this collaborative platform. This will be achieved by combining advanced technology and value-added services. The technology infrastructure will be rebuilt to the highest standards of compatibility with future developments, on an open source basis. A mobile application will facilitate data collection and provide a link to social networks so that customers can share their experiences. The photo identification module will be simplified and equipped with a collaborative interface. Finally, an API will allow companies to develop their own applications, using the database to provide services to their customers.

The most visible result will be the complete renovation of the website. This will be visible to the public due to the greater ease of interacting with the platform. But the main changes will be in the back office. The main development will be the direct integration of the information collected through the mobile application into the database, which will greatly facilitate the operators' work. Improved photo identification functionality will facilitate cataloging work and interaction with the public and experts.

In the scientific component, it is planned to (i) publish at least one scientific article on statistical modeling of cetacean observation time series, (ii) a data paper on the MONICET platform and (iii) the promotion of a seminar on long-term data series in cetacean studies.