Introduction to Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog
Overview of the Project
The Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalog was designed to inform users of the identity, residency, site fidelity, and habitat use of humpback whales in the waters off the mid-Atlantic and southeastern United States. Organizations between New York and Florida can contribute sighting and photographic information for inclusion in the catalog.
Funding support is through United States Navy Fleet Forces Command under the U. S. Navy's Marine Species Monitoring Program. HDR, Inc. provides contractual support and technical expertise, as well as contributing data to the catalog.
Additional funding for development and primary project oversight from 2016 to 2020 was provided by the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center Veterinary Science and Research Department. Kim Urian at Duke Marine Lab and the Duke University Marine Geospatial Lab provided online catalog design and implementation expertise through the OBIS-SEAMAP web portal.
Overview of the PhotoID App
The online photo-identification matching application for MAHWC allows you to compare dorsal fin and fluke images across study sites and present potential matches to the relevant contributors for verification. The following presentations will guide you through the basic usage of the application. The online help below describes more details.
Overview Presentations
- Major Upgrade (version 3) (PDF; 4.4MB)
- Animal Matching with PhotoID App on OBIS-SEAMAP (PDF; 6.6 MB)
Highlights of the App
- Browse thumbnails of humpback whales' dorsal fin and fluke images
- Search dorsal fin or fluke images of particular interest
- Compare two animals / images side by side
- Process images by zooming in/out, rotating and putting one over the other
- Plot relevant sightings on the map
- Go through animal matching workflow and assign a "Match ID" once the potential match is verified by the contributors
- Interface directly with HappyWhale for potential matches
Curator and Contributors
Curator
Marine Resources Specialist, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic
jacqueline.e.bort.civ@us.navy.mil
Data Contributors
- HDR, Inc.
- Rudee Tours
- Georgia Department of Natural Resources
- University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Whale and Dolphin Conservation
- North Carolina Marine Mammal Stranding Network
- Gotham Whale
- Duke University Marine Lab
- Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, Duke University
- Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center
- Wildlife Conservation Society
- Cape May Whale Watch and Research Center
Collaborators
Logging in to the application
The PhotoID App is available to the community members who can log in to the site with an account. A login name and initial password for the account will be given by the curator. There are two ways to log in.
- Visit the OBIS-SEAMAP front page and click "Log in" link at the upper right corner of the window.
- Directly go to the MAHWC PhotoID App and you will be forwarded to the login form.
Change password
1. Log in to the OBIS-SEAMAP front page at https://seamap.env.duke.edu.
2. Go to [My Data]. Note that [My Data] tab does not exist in the Photo ID application. Please go to the front page when you are on the Photo ID application.
3. In [OBIS-SEAMAP Account] section, enter a new password into [Password] box.
4. Click [Change password].
Terms of Use
Given the sensitive information included in the PhotoID Application for the Mid-Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogs (MAHWC PhotoID App), this application is private to the contributors who are granted the access to the App by the Curator and issued an OBIS-SEAMAP account.
By accepting this document, the user agrees to the following when using MAHWC PhotoID App and going through matching workflow:
- Prior to the initial access to the MAHWC PhotoID App, users will communicate with the Curator to get granted to access the App,
- The OBIS-SEAMAP account must not be shared with others unless a permission is given by the Curator and the OBIS-SEAMAP manager,
- The MAHWC PhotoID App gives no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of these data, images and matching information.
- Data and images provided in the MAHWC PhotoID App may not be modified, copied, or distributed to individuals, institutions or organizations outside of the Catalog contributors unless a permission is obtained from the contributor(s).
- In all products referring, explicitly or peripherally, to the data, images and matching information provided by the MAHWC PhotoID App, OBIS-SEAMAP must be explicitly cited.
