FISHanalyyseja

FISHanalyyseja is an open‑source software suite designed to facilitate the analysis of fish population dynamics and ecological data. Developed by a collaborative team of marine biologists, statisticians and software engineers, the project was first released in 2018 under the GNU Lesser General Public License. Its primary goal is to provide researchers, resource managers and conservationists with a flexible, easily extensible toolbox for processing raw data from acoustic surveys, tagging studies, and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling.

The core of FISHanalyyseja is written in Python and builds upon the scientific stack of NumPy, Pandas, and SciPy. A modular architecture separates data ingestion, cleaning, statistical modelling and visualisation. Users can add custom plug‑ins to implement new statistical techniques such as non‑parametric occupancy models or Bayesian hierarchical frameworks. Remote-case studies demonstrate the use of the package for estimating population size in the Atlantic cod fisheries, evaluating the effectiveness of marine protected area networks, and monitoring migratory routes using satellite telemetry.

FISHanalyyseja features an interactive web interface built with Dash that allows for real‑time exploration of model outputs, generation of publication‑ready graphics, and collaborative annotation of datasets. An extensive API documentation and a set of Jupyter notebooks with example workflows accompany the package, making it accessible to non‑programmers while still supporting advanced customisation for experienced developers. The community contributes through a GitHub repository, issue tracker, and a biannual virtual symposium that showcases new modules, user case studies and best‑practice workshops.

The project aims to support evidence‑based fisheries management decisions, improve the transparency and reproducibility of ecological research, and promote data sharing across disciplines. Its continued development is funded through a combination of governmental science grants, institutional support and a small but active core of volunteer contributors.