Matteo Contini

I am a PhD student at Ifremer DOI in Le Port, La Réunion. My doctoral thesis focuses on the multi-scale mapping of changes in tropical reefs.

Education

PhD Student, Multi-scale mapping of changes in tropical reefs
Ifremer DOI, Le Port, La Réunion (October 2022 - present)
Master in Mathematical Engineering, Applied Statistics (equivalent to a Master’s degree)
Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (September 2018 - December 2021)
Exchange program, courses in Machine Learning and Data Mining
Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile (February 2020 - July 2020)
General Engineering, double-degree student following the TIME project (Top Industrial Managers for Europe)
École Centrale de Lyon, Lyon, France (September 2016 - August 2018)
Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics (equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree)
Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy (September 2014 - August 2018)

DeepLearn Summer School, International School on Deep Learning
Porto, Portugal (July 15-19, 2024)
Participation in the Mission Indian Ocean, Monaco Explorations
Indian Ocean (October 2022 - November 2022)
Collected bathymetry and images using autonomous boards and aerial drones at Aldabra, Saya de Malha, and Saint-Brandon. (link)
Civic Service Volunteer, Ifremer DOI
Le Port, La Réunion (October 2020 - September 2022)
Developed neural networks (using PyTorch) for underwater image recognition. Managed data collection workflow and storage on dedicated servers (Datarmor).
R&D Intern in Bio-engineering and Applied Mathematics, CEU-UCH International Research Chair
Elche (Elx), Spain (May - July 2018)
Analyzed and developed models for cancer treatment and metastatic processes.

Seatizen Atlas: a collaborative dataset of underwater and aerial marine imagery
M. Contini, V. Illien, et al.
Scientific Data, vol. 12, no. 1, 2025, p. 67 [link]
An open-source Autonomous Surface Vehicle for Acoustic Tracking, Bathymetric and Photogrammetric Surveys
P. Gogendeau, S. Bonhommeau, et al.
arXiv preprint arXiv:2406.18760 (2024) [link]
GeoAI for Marine Ecosystem Monitoring: a Complete Workflow to Generate Maps from AI Model Predictions
J. Talpaert Daudon, M. Contini, et al.
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences (2023) [link]

BES, Liverpool, United Kingdom (10 December - 13 December 2024)
Oral presentation at the British Ecological Society Annual Meeting. (link)
Eccb, Bologna, Italy (17 June - 21 June 2024)
Oral presentation at the European Congress of Conservation Biology. (link)
Geohab, La Réunion, France (8 May - 12 May 2023)
Oral presentation at the Marine Geological and Biological Habitat Mapping conference. (link)

TV5MONDE, news report (February 2025)
Featured in a report on the use of artificial intelligence for coral reef monitoring in Réunion Island. (link)
Océans Connectés, online magazine (September 2024)
Article on AI and tropical reefs. (link)
ARTE, documentary (7 October 2023)
Featured in the Indian Ocean mission documentary showcasing scientific exploration and the use of innovative technologies for marine conservation. (link)
Outre-mer grandeur Nature, online magazine (June 2023)
(link) (page 31)
IH.SM, Tuléar, Madagascar (24 April - 28 April 2023)
Speaker at the workshop on underwater and aerial image processing, AI-based mapping, and photogrammetry. (link)
Monaco Ocean Week, Monaco, France (21 March 2023)
Presented preliminary results from the B4Sea team. (link)
Fête de la science, La Nouvelle (Mafate, La Réunion), France (15 November - 17 November 2021)
Presented research projects by Ifremer DOI using new ocean exploration equipment. (link)

EuroMarine Young Scientist Fellowship Programme 2023
Issued by EuroMarine - European Marine Research Network, July 2023
GeoHab’s Ron McDowell Student Award 2023
Issued by GEOHAB, May 2023

Languages: Italian (native), French (C2, DALF C2), English (B2, TOEFL IBT), Spanish (B2)
Certifications: Drone Pilot Certificate (DGAC), Diver Level 2 & RIFAP Certification (FFESSM), Lifeguard Certificate (FIN)
IT Skills: macOS, Microsoft Windows, Linux, LaTeX, LYX, iWork, Office Pack, Matlab, C/C++, Prolog, R, Python, MySQL (basic), QGIS, SolidWorks (basic)

You can contact me at firstname.lastname@ifremer.fr.