Identifying Sea Turtles
Tackling a series of ecological questions including population survival analysis and measuring pressure from tourism, Dr Kostas Papafitsoros has been using machine learning to photo-identify a protected loggerhead sea turtle population on Zakynthos island, Greece. He uses photographs from citizen science imagery, as well as underwater and drone cameras.
Using mathematics to obtain accurate estimates of turtle populations is critical for conservation efforts.
Dr Kostas Papafitsoros has also taken his own photographs and videos of the sea turtle he studies. These appeared in multiple media outlets and publications including: BBC News, BBC Earth, Science magazine, New York Times, and SWOT magazine,