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An image processing method for recognition of four aquatic macroinvertebrates genera in freshwater environments in the Andean region of Colombia

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Abstract

The aquatic macroinvertebrate community reflects the ecological status of a river. Typically, some extraction methods have been implemented, but the capture and preservation of organisms are necessary. The techniques of digital image processing applied to ecology have become innovative tools for the characterization of aquatic macroinvertebrates. This research implements a methodology for the processing and classification of four aquatic macroinvertebrates genera Thraulodes, Traverella (Ephemeroptera), Anacroneuria (Plecoptera), and Smicridea (Trichoptera) present in three rivers in Antioquia (Colombia), which includes two phases. The first of these was the collection and capture of organisms to obtain a database of the most abundant genera, at laboratory scale. The second was the use of simulations that allow the classification of data through a process of selection and extraction of characteristics using the bag of visual words technique. Of all the classifiers tested, Gaussian vector support machines obtained a percentage of success in the recognition up method of four organisms to the genus level of 97.1 %. The training and computational processing for classification enabled the standardization of an appropriate methodology that will serve as a starting point for aquatic biomonitoring and inventory in Colombia and internationally.

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Acknowledgments

This research was carried out within the framework of the doctoral thesis called: “Analysis of the ecological stability of three watercourse environments through aquatic macroinvertebrates and digital image processing,” with the support of the 727 calls of 2015 of Minciencia (Ministry of Science, Technology, and Innovation) and in co-operation with the GeoLimna and Gepar research groups of the Engineering School of the University of Antioquia. Special thanks are given to the systems engineering program students Sebastián Lobo and Daniel Uribe, who supported the development of the algorithm. Finally, thanks are given to the sanitary hydrobiology laboratory of the University of Antioquia for the space provided for the research development.

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Correspondence to Juan Pablo Serna López.

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Serna López, J.P., Fernández Mc Cann, D.S., Vélez Macías, F. et al. An image processing method for recognition of four aquatic macroinvertebrates genera in freshwater environments in the Andean region of Colombia. Environ Monit Assess 192, 617 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08545-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08545-2

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