FORMAL gathers experts in marine ecology applied mathematics, data sciences, oceanographer, biogeochemical modelling, and bioinformatics to better integrate marine big data and use them to improve marine ecosystem models.

FORMAL is a project team supported by the ISCD (Institute of Calculus and Data Sciences) of Sorbonne University (SU). It aims to study the dynamics of life in the ocean at various spatial and temporal scales. It will build on the huge quantity of various marine data (omics, imaging, acoustics, satellite) that has been acquired by the members of the team on marine life (viruses, bacteria, plankton, fish), either at global scale or at long-term observatories (e.g. from the 3 marine stations of SU).Its scientific objectives are: 1) to develop new methods to analyse and combine high throughput data in oceanography, 2) to improve existing marine ecosystem models through data assimilation, and develop new statistical and mechanistic models to represent the dynamics of biological systems in the ocean, and 3) to structure the scientific community at SU working on the analysis of marine data and on the modelling of ocean life, both in Paris and in the 3 marine stations of SU.