• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
The Data Lab

The Data Lab

  • Business Support
        • Business Support

          We’ll help you harness the power of data so you can innovate and grow your business.

          Visit our Business Support page

        • Accessing Talent
          • Data Talent
          • Placements
        • Funding
        • Small Business Support
        • Digital Strategy
        • Academic Project Funding
        • The Data Lab Community
  • Professional Development
        • Professional Development

          We’ll help you harness the power of data so you can innovate at work and also advance your career.

          Visit our Professional Development page

        • Workshops
        • Online Courses
        • Data Skills for Work Programme
        • The Data Lab Community
  • Students
        • Students

          We’ll help you learn about the power of data and gain real-world experience and career-focused qualifications.

          Visit our Students page

        • The Data Lab Academy
        • PhD
        • TDL Academy Placements
        • Scholarships
        • The Data Lab Community
  • Partner With Us
        • Partner With Us

          We work in partnership with companies to help them gain maximum benefit from the strategic use of data.

          Visit our Partner With Us page

        • Collaborate With Specialists
        • Partnerships
  • About Us
        • About Us

          We discover opportunities, connect people and ideas, develop knowledge and expertise and bring game-changing data projects to fruition.

          About Us

        • Our Team
        • Careers With Us
        • Join our board
        • Academic Opportunities
        • The Data Lab Community
        • Case Studies
        • News & Podcasts
        • DataFest
        • Scottish AI Alliance
        • Contact us

Deep learning helps NatureScot protect Scotland’s wildlife

Case Studies, HIE, MSc 06/08/2021

NatureScot is the Scottish Government agency based in Inverness charged with protecting and enhancing the nation’s habitats and species. As a Statutory Consultee, NatureScot regularly provide expert advice on how Scotland’s environment and wildlife may be impacted by proposed developments.

The problem: camera traps produce thousands of images, but only a tiny proportion are relevant.
The solution:
MSc student applies up to date knowledge of the latest developments in the field, develops a software model to detect, recognise and classify species and uses deep learning to train the model for accuracy.

“It didn’t occur to us that Ioannis would be able to come up with an actual machine learning solution for species recognition in three months, but that’s exactly what he did.

So it has far exceeded our expectations – we are delighted with what he’s done.”

Stephen Gerrard, Information Management Programme Manager at NatureScot

Data driven decision-making

A large part of the evidence used by NatureScot to inform these decision-making processes comes from their work on identifying habitats and the species present within them. Using an extensive network of motion-activated camera traps, NatureScot can gather primary intelligence on the range and concentration of various species, including protected animals such as the Scottish wildcat.

Information Management Programme Manager Stephen Gerrard oversees the management and sharing of such data.

“Our camera traps produce thousands of images, but since they’re motion activated, this can include things like branches blowing in the breeze. Only a tiny proportion of the images we capture are actually relevant for our work, and we were having to manually trawl through them to identify the ones which were worth uploading to our Digital Asset Management system.”

Information Management Programme Manager Stephen Gerrard, NatureScot

Stephen and his project board believed an Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution might exist to help them streamline their process of reviewing the camera trap images. With no AI expertise inhouse, Stephen, with the agreement of IT colleagues, applied for NatureScot to be a host organisation in The Data Lab’s MSc Placement Programme.

The Challenge: Image Detection and Recognition

Within hours, Stephen was matched with Ioannis Katsadas, a student on the MSc Data Science postgraduate programme at the University of Glasgow. After discussing the problem facing NatureScot, the pair agreed on a project scope which would see Ioannis research and assess various options and identify the best AI solution to reduce the amount of time members of staff would have to spend physically reviewing and classifying images before uploading them to the Digital Asset Management system.

Ioannis identified the need to apply deep learning, a subset of AI machine learning, to achieve the desired results. In order to correctly recognise and classify species within an image, the model would first have to be taught to detect the presence of the target species within the 2D images produced by the camera traps. Rather than manually annotate all possible outlines of each of the 50 species the programme might have to learn to recognise, Ioannis turned to open-source detection applications.

The detection capabilities in Microsoft’s AI for Earth project proved ideal for NatureScot’s purposes. The classification task, however, would need to be custom built, as Microsoft’s solution was based mainly on tropical species, and so less attuned to the highland and woodland habitats in Scotland!

Applying deep learning to the software model he created with fantastic results

Stephen had expected Ioannis to recommend a classification solution for later implementation. However, having done so with time to spare on his three month placement, Ioannis not only identified the best classification method but also created the model and left guidance on how NatureScot staff could use it in the future.

Creating custom script to pull images from external servers, Ioannis built a software model which could detect, recognise and classify species. Applying deep learning, he taught it to improve the accuracy of its predictions by correcting each mistaken classification until the model was ready for use.

Mutual benefits – while Ioannis developed valuable soft skills, NatureScot saved time and money

Within a few months, NatureScot had already filtered over 120,000 images through Ioannis’ model, freeing up over £20,000 worth of employee hours to devote to other projects and improving the quality of their image dataset. They also avoided the need to invest a higher amount with a specialist AI supplier, while benefiting from Ioannis’ deep up to date knowledge of the latest developments in the field thanks to his ongoing studies.

“I saw how some things remain the same, for example the process of researching, looking at what has been done elsewhere, and what’s different, was similar to my academic experience.

I found the big difference was in dealing with real-world challenges where things aren’t made simple for you.


For example, we had problems accessing images on external servers and cleaning them to prepare a training dataset, so I had to create a special script to prepare the data.”

Ioannis Katsadas, MSc Data Science student

Drawing on his problem-solving experiences, as well as the soft skills he picked up in collaborating with team members and presenting his work to the wider organisation, has already helped Ioannis differentiate himself in a competitive job market. He believes the dissertation he produced based on the work he did during his time at NatureScot was more fulfilling than a purely theoretical piece, and has since graduated with a distinction from his MSc in Data Science.

The remote project went very smoothly, with support from The Data Lab

With the 2020 programme taking place while the world grappled with COVID-19, Stephen and Ioannis found themselves collaborating remotely, rather than from NatureScot’s office as originally planned. Having returned home to Thessaloniki in Greece, Ioannis worked as a virtual member of the team. “We were arranging the placement just as lockdown was starting,” remembers Stephen, “and we worried about whether it would be an extra layer of hassle, and whether we should even go ahead.”

With NatureScot already geared up for remote working, however, they realised the project was perfectly suited to this and went ahead, making sure to involve Ioannis in wider team videocalls and virtual get-togethers. “It was really smooth and easy. It was all far less work than you would think.”

The Data Lab was also on hand to support both student and sponsor, particularly as it was NatureScot’s first experience of being a host organisation in the MSc Placement Programme.

“We did a lot of work with The Data Lab at the start. Marian was very helpful, and Karen too. They talked us through the process and also had regular catchups with Ioannis and myself, both individually and together.

If you’ve identified a data-based business problem you’re trying to solve, I’d definitely recommend getting in touch with The Data Lab to see if they might be able to help.”

Stephen Gerrard, Information Management Programme Manager at NatureScot

Innovate • Support • Grow • Respect

Get in touch

t: +44 (0) 131 651 4905

info@thedatalab.com

Follow us on social

  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

The Data Lab is part of the University of Edinburgh, a charitable body registered in Scotland with registration number SC005336.

  • Website Accessibility
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

© 2023 The Data Lab

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsReject AllAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-advertisement1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Advertisement" category .
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
CookieLawInfoConsent1 yearRecords the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie.
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
CookieDurationDescription
_ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
_ga_DPXX4XJSJ82 yearsThis cookie is installed by Google Analytics.
_gat_gtag_UA_54851888_11 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
_gat_UA-54851888-11 minuteA variation of the _gat cookie set by Google Analytics and Google Tag Manager to allow website owners to track visitor behaviour and measure site performance. The pattern element in the name contains the unique identity number of the account or website it relates to.
_gcl_au3 monthsProvided by Google Tag Manager to experiment advertisement efficiency of websites using their services.
_gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
CONSENT2 yearsYouTube sets this cookie via embedded youtube-videos and registers anonymous statistical data.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
CookieDurationDescription
personalization_id2 yearsTwitter sets this cookie to integrate and share features for social media and also store information about how the user uses the website, for tracking and targeting.
VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE5 months 27 daysA cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface.
YSCsessionYSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages.
yt-remote-connected-devicesneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
yt-remote-device-idneverYouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
CookieDurationDescription
cl-bypass-cache1 hourNo description
muc_ads2 yearsNo description
SAVE & ACCEPT
Powered by CookieYes Logo