NIOO-KNAW Netherlands Institute of Ecology 
Wageningen, Netherlands Résumé de l'offre
The NIOO‑KNAW Institute of Ecology in Wageningen offers a 4‑month internship for MBO or HBO students to analyse freshwater zooplankton using deep‑learning image‑analysis software. Interns will scan samples, validate counts and measurements, and conduct small experiments on sample preservation, staining, handling, and image quality. The goal is to develop a standard operating protocol for zooplankton analysis and produce a dataset on community dynamics in outdoor mesocosms. No programming is required, though a background in computer science is welcome. The internship focuses on improving speed and accuracy of zooplankton processing for ecological research.
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Description du projet
As grazers of phytoplankton and important food source of fish, zooplankton plays a pivotal role in the functioning of freshwater systems. Studies of aquatic food webs therefore require detailed information on the functional composition and size structure of zooplankton communities. However, the traditional ways of analyzing zooplankton samples through microscopy are very laborious and time consuming. Fortunately, new developments in image analysis techniques open exciting and promising avenues that may allow us to dramatically enhance the speed and accuracy of zooplankton samples processing.
Aim of the project
In this internship project, we will explore how newly developed software for image analysis based on state-of-the-art deeplearning methods may contribute to the analysis of zooplankton samples.
Project Outline
The project will address a variety of methodological challenges associated with the analysis of zooplankton samples. This will be done in close collaboration with the software developers. In addition, we will analyze an existing set of samples that has been collected in the framework of an existing eco-evolutionary research project (COMADAPT). In practice, the work will consist of scanning of samples, performing of counts and measurements aimed at validating software outcomes and the execution of small experiments contributing to increased performance related to e.g. sample preservation and staining techniques, sample handling, and image quality control. The internship will not involve computer programming, hence an educational background in computer sciences IS PERMITTED BUT NOT REQUIRED.
The end goal of the internship is to use the results of the experiment to develop a standard operation protocol (SOP) that describes the most suitable method for the analysis of zooplankton samples. In addition, the project will yield a dataset on the temporal dynamics of zooplankton communities in an outdoor mesocosms experiment.
Duration
At least 4 months
Contact académique
Les coordonnées n’ont pas été fournies par la source officielle.