This project focuses on the comparative evaluation (benchmarking) of artificial intelligence and machine learning models for predicting acoustic biomass indices of small pelagic fish species, using environmental drivers as predictors.

Multiple models—including Artificial Neural Networks (ANN/MLP), Random Forest, Gradient Boosting, XGBoost, Support Vector Regression (SVR), and Decision Trees—were trained and evaluated using harmonized acoustic and environmental datasets.

The objective was to assess model performance, robustness, and generalization ability, using appropriate validation strategies (cross-validation, year-based validation), and to identify the most suitable AI approaches for fisheries biomass prediction under varying environmental conditions.

This project aims to develop artificial intelligence–based classification and prediction models to analyze the presence, absence, and spatial distribution patterns of small pelagic fish species, using environmental and oceanographic parameters as explanatory variables.

Environmental drivers such as sea surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll concentration, currents, and productivity indicators were integrated with acoustic survey data to train classification models capable of identifying favorable habitats and predicting fish occurrence.

The work contributes to ecosystem-based fisheries assessment by providing data-driven tools to better understand how environmental variability influences fish distribution and aggregation processes.

Set up "Medium-term (2017-2020) strategy for the sustainability of fisheries in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea ", under the general supervision of the FAO representative in Morocco and under the supervision of Executive Secretary of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM), the incumbent will participate in implementation of the comprehensive regional survey on the socio-economic characteristics of fisheries, including small-scale Morocco.

Within the framework of the XLINKS Morocco–United Kingdom electricity interconnection project, this mission involved participation in offshore bathymetric survey operations conducted in collaboration with the GEOXYZ team, in support of the routing and installation of the submarine power cable.

The campaign was carried out onboard the research vessel Ibn Sina II in the offshore area of Tan-Tan, Morocco, between April and May 2024. The bathymetric data acquired during this campaign contributed to the characterization of the seabed morphology, providing essential inputs for the safe and optimized routing of the submarine electricity cable.

The work was conducted in a multidisciplinary and international context, ensuring coordination between Moroccan scientific staff and specialized geophysical survey experts, while complying with operational, safety, and logistical requirements of offshore cable-laying projects.

Leading over 30 acoustic prospecting campaigns aimed at the estimation of biomass and abundance of small pelagic species (such as sardine, anchovy, and horse mackerel) along the Moroccan Atlantic coast.

These surveys involved the acquisition and processing of acoustic data, species identification, spatial analysis of fish distribution, and integration of biological and fisheries information to support stock assessment and sustainable fisheries management.

Illuminating Hidden Harvests is a collaborative study that provides a ‘snapshot’ of the current contributions, impacts and drivers of change of small-scale fisheries globally.  

The study uses a case study approach, focusing on countries that have significant production or dependence on small-scale fisheries. The case studies, along with a diverse set of global and regional datasets and ad hoc survey responses from national fisheries administrations, will feed into the global synthesis and thematic studies.

This project focuses on an oceanographic survey conducted in the offshore area of Al Hoceima–Driouch, a region characterized by significant seismic activity. The main objective is to identify potential anomalies in oceanographic parameters and assess their possible impacts on local fisheries resources.

The survey involves a multidisciplinary collaboration bringing together researchers from the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INRH), the Royal Navy, university researchers, and the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM). All operations are carried out from the port of Al Hoceima.

The methodological framework includes bathymetric surveys, hydrological measurements using CTD sensors, water sampling via CTD rosette, marine current measurements (ADCP and LADCP), and sediment sampling using grab and multi-corer systems, following a standardized oceanographic sampling protocol.

Co-Cruise leader as part of the EAF-Nansen Program 2022 work plan “Supporting the implementation of the ecosystem approach to fisheries management taking into account the impacts of climate and pollution” (GCP/GLO/690/NOR) funded by Norway and implemented by FAO with the scientific participation of the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) in Bergen, a scientific campaign on pelagic and ecosystem resources in the national waters of Morocco and three others countries (Gambia, Mauritania and Senegal conducted from October 6 to December 16, 2022.