Isla Camille Duporge

I have been supported by the National Geographic Exploration Technology Lab to work on a project automating the identification and tracking of marine life using Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) and Diver-Operated Video (DUV). This project is in collaboration with Dr Karlovic at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of São Paulo. Over three years, the project monitored rays, turtles, and various fish species in Ilha Anchieta, an offshore island in the Atlantic Ocean located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, part of the Bocaina Mosaic of conservation units. The species being studied include Spotted Eagle Rays, Groovebelly Stingrays, Lutz's Stingrays, Longnose Stingrays, as well as several species of groupers, such as Yellowmouth Groupers, Snowy Groupers, Dusky Groupers, and the Atlantic Goliath Grouper. The project involves the participation of volunteers and citizen scientists and is supported by RAIC Labs to automate the analysis of video footage for species counts. The island, once home to the highest-security prison in Brazil, became a nature reserve following a major prisoner rebellion in 1955 where many prisoners escaped, despite the surrounding waters being inhabited by sharks. Today, it serves as a vital conservation area for marine biodiversity.