BEHAVIORAL MODELLING

Person in charge

Pr. Antoine Aiello

Problematic issues

Within the field of scientific work addressed by the Stella Mare platform on the study of the marine environment, the problem of behavioural monitoring of species occupies an important area of investigation. Indeed, helping to create viable observation conditions in an environment where human intervention is limited by nature, to better understand the behaviour, needs and interactions that the species studied may have with their environment, is an important scientific and technological challenge.

Objectives

The objective is to build a network-based information collection system, ultimately integrating real time, to provide the data necessary for the development and validation of a behavioural simulation model, analysis of population dynamics and interactions within the tropho-dynamic chain of ecosystems observed. Thus, the research and development project concerns the development of an Information System dedicated to the global monitoring of fish species.

Description

This project of behavioural monitoring of fish species is approached according to two axes:

• Axis 1: the study and application of wireless sensor network (RCSF), already studied in various fields (fire, study of water systems, etc...), but now deployed in the marine environment.

• Axis 2: modelling and simulation through discrete event formalism (DEVS) and its DEVSymPy software environment programme.

Steps to be taken

• It is proposed in this part the implementation of sensor networks (acoustic and video) allowing initial tracking by geo-localisation, then taking into account other data specific to the species (hunting mode, prey taken-quantity and species-, activity zones according to age, time of year, etc…) More precisely, we will have to catch, equip and release large individuals of selected species in order to follow them in depths ranging from 0 to 200 meters.

• The data thus collected will be cross-referenced with data from biological observations and analyses to increase behavioural knowledge of the species. Our final objective lies in the development of a model to concentrate all the data collected in the environment, then to put them into dynamics by means of discrete event simulation action. This methodology, based on the study of complex systems, aims to provide stakeholders in the field (researchers, professionals, managers, decision-makers) with the tools necessary for a better understanding for the sustainable management of selected species.