Sharkbook

Sharkbook is a free global online database identifying and tracking multiple species of shark, in particular whale sharks. It is one of the Wildbook Web applications developed supported by Wild Me [1]in partnership with Simon J Pierce of the Marine Megafauna Foundation.[2][3] In addition to allow tracking sharks, the site allows people to "adopt a shark" and get updates on specific animals.

Whale shark with divers
Sharkbook
Legal statusnonprofit
PurposeOnline citizen science database to identify and track manta rays
Parent organization
Marine Megafauna Foundation, WildMe
Volunteers
9445 citizen scientists, 313 researchers
Websitehttps://www.sharkbook.ai
Formerly called
whaleshark.org, wildbook for whale sharks

Whale sharks have unique spot patterning on their sides, similar to a human fingerprint, which allows for individual identification. Scuba divers around the world can photograph sharks and upload their identification photographs to the Sharkbook website, supporting global research and conservation efforts.[4][5][6][7][8] Additionally, the sotware automatically searches social media sites like YouTube and Instagram to look for images of whale sharks and adds them to the database.[2]

Sharkbook software uses special pattern-matching software to identify the unique spots on each shark. This software and algorithms were originally adapted from NASA star tracking software[2] used on the Hubble Space Telescope.[3][9] This software uses a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, which can cope with complications presented by highly variable spot patterns and low contrast photographs.[4][10][11]

This citizen science tool is free to use by researchers worldwide. Sharkbook represents a global initiative to centralize shark sightings and facilitate research on these vulnerable species.[12][13][14][15]


References
  1. Davis, Jessica (2021-06-29). "How a Wildlife AI Platform Solved its Data Challenge". InformationWeek. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  2. "How A.I. is helping to protect the endangered whale sharks of the Galapagos". Fortune. Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  3. "How artificial intelligence is changing wildlife research". National Geographic. 2018-11-13. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  4. Marshall, A. D.; Pierce, S. J. (April 2012). "The use and abuse of photographic identification in sharks and rays". Journal of Fish Biology. 80 (5): 1361–1379. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8649.2012.03244.x. PMID 22497388.
  5. Weintraub, Karen (2017-11-29). "Tracking the Elusive Whale Shark". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  6. "Tracking the Sea's Gentle Giants". National Geographic. 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  7. "Nature up close: Whale sharks". CBS News. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  8. McCoy, Emer; Burce, Raul; David, David; Aca, Elson Q.; Hardy, Jennifer; Labaja, Jessica; Snow, Sally J.; Ponzo, Alessandro; Araujo, Gonzalo (2018). "Long-Term Photo-Identification Reveals the Population Dynamics and Strong Site Fidelity of Adult Whale Sharks to the Coastal Waters of Donsol, Philippines". Frontiers in Marine Science. 5. doi:10.3389/fmars.2018.00271. ISSN 2296-7745.
  9. "🔭 The Hubble Telescope could help save the world's largest fish". Warp News. 2021-03-01. Retrieved 2023-02-12.
  10. "Scientists are using cloud computing and AI to track these mysterious, beautiful whale sharks". ZDNET. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  11. Russell, Mark 'Crowley' (2022-03-21). "Study shows need for whale shark population monitoring". DIVE Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  12. Stacey, Adrian (2020-05-20). "Dive Photos Needed | Scuba Diver Mag". Retrieved 2023-02-09.
  13. "Whale shark sightings increase in Tampa Bay area (w/video)". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  14. "22 years and counting – the two whale sharks calling Ningaloo home". Australian Geographic. 2016-10-12. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  15. Araujo, Gonzalo; Agustines, Ariana; Tracey, Brian; Snow, Sally; Labaja, Jessica; Ponzo, Alessandro (2019-11-20). "Photo-ID and telemetry highlight a global whale shark hotspot in Palawan, Philippines". Nature (journal). 9 (1): 17209. Bibcode:2019NatSR...917209A. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-53718-w. ISSN 2045-2322. PMC 6868279. PMID 31748588.
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