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Images of phytoplankton used in the development of a convolutional neural network to automate phytoplankton identification

Published by U.S. Geological Survey | Department of the Interior | Catalog Last Checked: August 21, 2026 at 12:42 AM | Dataset Last Updated: August 18, 2026 at 12:00 AM
We collected >160,000 images of particles using an imaging flow cytometer (the FlowCam). Images were then identified manually using morphology to the lowest taxonomic resolution possible. Greater than half of those images were either zooplankton, detritus or could not be identified (unknown). These identified images were then used to train and test a convolutional neural network. This convolutional neural network model can then be used to make predictions on new images collected with the FlowCam, with an apparent accuracy of 86% overall. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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