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Sharkbook
Shark photo identification database From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Sharkbook is a global database for identifying and tracking sharks, particularly whale sharks, using uploaded photos and videos.In addition to identifying and tracking sharks, the site allows people to "adopt a shark" and get updates on specific animals.
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Creation
Sharkbook is the result of collaboration between Simon J Pierce of the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Jason Holmberg of Wild Me. The software is Open Source and is now being used by other biology projects.[1][2][3]
Identification of individual 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 software 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]
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Purpose
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]
See also
- Manta Matcher - For Manta Rays
- Flukebook - For whales and dolphins
References
Wikiwand - on
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