Coordinators: Kerry Howell & Heidi Mayer
The Megafaunal Image-Based Working Group focuses on the development and harmonisation of approaches for the documentation, annotation, quality control, and archiving of in situ marine visual data and associated metadata. Image-based observations are central to modern deep-sea research, supporting biodiversity assessment, habitat characterisation, and long-term monitoring across a wide range of environments.
By promoting common standards, training, and best practice, the group aims to improve the consistency, comparability, and reusability of imagery data. Its activities support open and FAIR data principles and enable imagery datasets to be more effectively used in analysis, automation, and synthesis across studies, regions, and programmes.
Vision Statement: By 2030, the Megafaunal Image-Based Working Group aims to have established internationally accepted standards and quality control measures for in situ marine visual data and associated metadata that are widely adopted and recognised as best practice in deep-sea science.
Activities: The Imagery Working Group meets quarterly and focuses on training, support, and quality control for imagery-based data. To date, the group has:
Published An Ecologist’s Guide to BIIGLE
Delivered online training courses in image annotation using BIIGLE
Undertaken a quality control exercise for deep-sea sponge imagery
Current activities include the collection of metadata to assess the extent of annotated imagery available across the community, and the initiation of an Atlantic-wide coral imagery data pooling exercise. This work will begin with collation of existing Atlantic coral image reference guides, followed by a workshop with coral taxonomists to review and confirm image-based identifications.
Planned outputs include an Atlantic coral image reference guide, training materials for coral identification from imagery, and best-practice guidance for merging image datasets.
Publications:
An Ecologist’s Guide to BIIGLE
(Guidance document supporting image annotation workflows in BIIGLE)
Additional publications will be listed here as they become available.