Background of the project

1994 - Following upon the thesis project of Noel CONRUYT ("Robustness Improvement in systems of description, classification and identification of biological objects" - 1994), the ideas of Jacques LE RENARD (National Museum of Natural History of Paris), and the development of KATE software (Knowledge Acquisition Tools for Expert-Systems) by Michel MANAGO (Acknosoft) dedicated to industrial applications, IREMIA devised a biological sciences knowledge management project (Use and Enhancement of Scientific Databases in Reunion Island). After Noel CONRUYT's addition to the team of Henry RALAMBONDRAINY (Numeric and Symbolic Learning), the project was born.

1995 - Thanks to the participation of the coral expert Gérard FAURE work began in this domain of marine biology.

1996 - This collaboration made it possible to develop the first version of the "Mascarene Coral" project (see: web site of this version, dating from July 1996). The biologists at the National Museum of Natural History of Paris and the laboratory of marine ecology (ECOMAR) of University of La Réunion were, by then, involved with the creation of a prototype of knowledge base for the Pocillopora genus.
In October, David GROSSER joined the team as Doctorat research assistant, with first assignment the development of the IKBS software program. Michel PICHON joined the team of experts.

1997 - A demonstration of remote expert collaboration was held at Cannes for the MILIA'97.

By the end of the year, with a first version of IKBS operational, the team displaced its efforts from the Pocillopora genus to the Pocilloporidae family as modeled by Gérard FAURE. In October, Yannick GEYNET was added to the team to develop the internet site complete with its interface for the IKBS web questionnaire.

1998 - In March at Rennes, a demonstration of this system was held at ATM Developments'98 (PDF format paper in French and English). At the same time the internet site is launched.

A contract (DEAT3/980520) is signed by the Regional Council for financing the Mascarene Coral Project. This project now includes Michel PICHON's model of the Fungiidae family. Gerard FAURE adds the Astrocoeniidae and Siderastreidae family models.

1999 - A new version of IKBS (2.2) was developed. The web site is furnished with a 'State of the Mascarene Coral Project' page, Jean DIATTA joins the team to concentrate his efforts on processing and data analysis. Guillaume ROUSSE, doctorat student, adds his know how to the team for development of the aspect of the knowledge base/database interface.
On December 21st and 22nd a demonstration of IKBS is given at the IFRECOR (Initiative Franaise sur les REcifs CORalliens) meeting held at St. Gilles, Réunion.

The coral project has been partially financed by the Régional Council of Réunion.