GFTS D5.4 User Validation Report

Introduction

This report describes the validation activities we have performed with the user representative in the Global Fish Tracking Service (GFTS) consortium and the feedback received. For the GFTS project, our partner IFREMER are our representative users. Throughout the project we have worked closely with IFREMER adopting a codesign approach to ensure that we are building something that is useful for them and solves problems they had in practice.

It is important to notice that this agile and continuous feedback approach that we adopted in direct collaboration with IFREMER has been a process that started from the beginning. We wanted to avoid building our use case based on high level assumptions, then build it, and then when already built start validating the output. Instead of such a linear approach, we used codesign and agile practices to continuously validate our assumptions as we moved forward in the project. We are therefore not reporting on a final validation activity that we performed at the end of the project, but rather we report on the process we have used and the insights we collected in a cumulative and iterative way throughout the project.

User profile

From the user interviews we identified that the main user for a system like GFTS are technical people that function as advisors to decision makers. Researchers from IFREMER are a good example of such a profile, because they are in different advisory groups and forums that make recommendations to policy makers for fish quota planning.

Co-design with IFREMER

Part of the continuous feedback cycle that we obtained and leveraged in the agile development approach adopted, we focused on creating and updating a list of needs that the user group can identify as important aspects that were not covered well enough with current tools. The following is a summary of the input collected during this user validation process. This information was used to build the interface and was leveraged to validate the relevance of GFTS for fish track scientists and decision makers.

Researchers from IFREMER served as the end-user representative throughout the GFTS project and provided essential scientific expertise that informed the co-creation approach for interface design. As the scientific partner responsible for data and modeling, IFREMER ensured that the end product addressed relevant user needs through continuous collaboration during the agile development process.

IFREMER researchers that are experienced in fish track biologging research and serving in advisory capacities for marine policy recommendations, contributed domain knowledge that was critical for translating complex geolocation modeling outputs into an intuitive decision support tool. Their iterative feedback validated design assumptions and helped identify key challenges faced by biologists in handling complex geolocation models and the need for future habitat suitability analysis capabilities.

Through the project we have obtained this feedback in review meetings and direct communication with the software developers and project managers from Development Seed. IFREMER’s contributions ensured that the interface effectively addressed the gap between sophisticated scientific analysis and practical marine conservation decision-making. This helped deliver a system that enables easier sharing and explanation of fish track biologging data results to policy makers and stakeholders.

Collecting feedback from the biologging community

Our consortium has actively participated in conferences and workshops related to marine biology and fish track biologging. We have presented our work and obtained additional feedback from potential new users of the GFTS system. As an example, we have had contact with the European Tracking Network (ETN), a group that collects and manages an archive of biologging that helps to track aquatic animals across Europe. We have developed a concept in collaboration with them about how GFTS could integrate with the ETN system. ETN’s interest in the GFTS use case validates the relevance of our work for the larger marine biologging community. We plan to continue our conversations with them and are actively looking for funding opportunities to bring the two efforts closer together.

Identifying user needs

An important first step to understand if a service is solving user needs is to identify user personas and identify the needs for those groups. We did this in an iterative way and have used it to validate our assumptions that we used to design and build the GFTS use case during the whole course of the project. This section reports on the insights gained from these activities, specifically outlining what are the unmet needs and in what context they stand.

The Critical Role of Fish Habitats

Fish habitats are the cornerstone of marine ecosystems, providing essential functions that enable fish to complete their entire life cycle. These functions include crucial activities such as feeding, growth, and reproduction (spawning). Within these vital habitats, particularly in areas like spawning grounds, incredibly high concentrations of individual fish can be found, highlighting their ecological significance. The ability within GFTS to look at data aggregated by quarter, provides a seasonal perspective on the movement of fish, providing insight into location of fish during these different biological seasons.

The Importance of Connectivity

Often, these essential habitats are geographically distant from one another. In such scenarios, the connectivity between these distinct areas becomes absolutely critical. This connectivity is achieved through both passive and active migrations, which are vital for fish to successfully complete their life cycles and, ultimately, to ensure the long-term sustainability and resilience of their populations. Without effective connectivity, isolated populations risk decline and loss of genetic diversity.

Challenges for Biologists: Understanding Fish Dynamics

Biologists are continuously striving to gain a deeper understanding of the movements, behaviors, and connectivity patterns of adult fish resources. This knowledge is fundamental for effective conservation and management. However, a significant challenge in this pursuit lies in the difficulty of handling and interpreting complex geolocation models. These models, while powerful, often require specialized expertise and computational resources, hindering widespread application and analysis by researchers.

Understanding future changes

Another important but currently unavailable type of analysis is to understand the possible changes in habitat suitability moving forward. Fish track reconstruction looks at how fish are moving today under current conditions. Having ways of understanding if current habitats will still be valid in the future under different climate change scenarios is an important but previously unexplored type of insights that is important for long term planning purposes.

Challenges for Decision Makers: Evidence-Based Conservation

For decision-makers involved in marine spatial planning, the establishment of effective protected areas is paramount for fish conservation. Yet, a critical barrier they face is the lack of robust evidence concerning the precise locations and characteristics of essential fish habitats. Without this crucial data, the designation of protected areas can be less effective, potentially failing to safeguard the most critical zones for fish populations. Implementing advanced geolocation models within platforms like Destination Earth promises to bridge this knowledge gap, providing the necessary insights to inform strategic and impactful conservation efforts.

Conclusions

The GFTS use case is a big step forward in fish track reconstruction and biologging analysis and dissemination. We have validated the impact of the use case in the work of our primary user from IFREMER and have produced a new level of insights and innovative ways to both visualize and analyze their data. With the GFTS use case, it is now easier than ever to share and explain the results of fish track biologging data with policy makers and even the general public.