Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates (SMILE) project: Length estimation of 12 target species of ecological and economical importance in the tropical western Atlantic basin, the upper Florida Keys, from 2023 to present

This package includes data file descriptions for the SMILE ("Size Matters: Innovative Length Estimates") project, that generates lengths of 12 target species in situ using a laser-mounted camera system ("FishSenseLite" or "FSL") to capture images of ecologically and economically important reef fish. The images were processed through a machine learning (AI) workflow to estimate length. To collect these images, recreational divers simply point the laser (green or red in color) at the lateral center of the fish and capture images in burst mode from a distance up to 5 meters. Through post-processing in an AI workflow (following trained datasets) using a depth of field approach, the laser location in the photo is located to identify laser position, thus distance between the camera and the subject. The position of the head and tail of the focal fish in the image is located to compute the length of the fish, given the location relevant to the distance from the camera.
These data are validated against existing stereovideo methods used in concert with the FSL cameras. Thus, the data within represent lengths obtained through both stereovideo and FSL methods from August 2023 through December 2024.
Length data post December 2024 was provided solely through FSL methods, unless otherwise stated.
Data files include: species, site, date, camera number, file name for tracking the FSL process, length of individual, range of photo, direction of photo, points for the FSL method, common name, number of photos, habitat, depth measurements, temperature and temperatures. Data Dictionaries are included as txt files.
The initial phases of this project were funded by a NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program grant (award # FNA22NMF4410182) to develop the camera and perform field tests with citizen scientists in the upper Florida Keys as well as on regional REEF Field survey trips, with location available through the raw dataset.