A set of
software tools supports the user in managing all data of ICES biological reading (like age, maturity, larvae identification) workshops and exchanges. The workshop or exchange manager can
manage the meta data related to workshops and exchanges, and
the biological readers can carry out readings by annotating images provided by the workshop managers. All
registered data are available in the connected reporting environment.
The
SmartDots biological reading platform is an open source solution originally developed by ILVO (Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food). All source code is
publicly accessible.
The development of SmartDots within ICES is guided by the working group on SmartDots Governance (WGSMART).