Community‐based population monitoring for large baleen whales: the case study of Bryde's whale in Beibu Gulf of China

Abstract

Citizen science is a popular method for the long-term monitoring of the distribution of wild animals. The application of these methods in different species and environments still poses challenges, especially for aquatic animals. In this study, we investigated the distribution of the Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in the Beibu Gulf of China by using scientific boat-based surveys and citizen science approaches using 2 different methods of data collection. First, we built our mobile app (Whale Guard) and installed it on fishermen's phones. Second, we used a popular instant messaging app (WeChat) to create an online fisherman community. We found that the mobile phone app collected far fewer reports (5 reports) than the online community group (42 reports, P < 0.01). By using a variety of incentives, we maintained the fisherman's community's activity without significant user loss (P < 0.01). We also found that the locations collected by social media applications in this study were consistent with observations from scientific boat-based transect surveys. The sightings distribution of Bryde's whales differed from those in previous surveys in that they were present across larger areas. Social media apps reported that 69% of reports was confirmed by more than one person, whereas Whale Guard reports were much lower (0, P <0.001). Community-based citizen science can greatly contribute to the long-term monitoring of Bryde's whales, and it has successfully overcome the challenges of data accessibility, accuracy, and fragmentation. Our study shows how to appropriately use citizen science in different community groups and community-based approaches make them useful for large baleen whale surveys.

Bryde's whales in the North‐East Atlantic: New insights on site fidelity and connectivity between oceanic archipelagos

“…Finally, the continued monitoring of whale‐watching activity is of key importance, for the identification of species and populations that are more sensitive to this source of disturbance. Other platforms of opportunity, such as fishing vessels, should also be taken into consideration for data collection as they regularly travel to more offshore areas (Zhang et al, 2021).…”

Media used as an information source to solve baseline gaps in marine megafauna conservation: Recommendations to standardize reports on cetacean stranding events

“…A fisherman‐based citizen science programme on the presence of Bryde's whales carried out around Weizhou Island (Zhang et al, 2021), has proven that by using an online recording scheme (with a mobile application and a real‐time online community), the fishermen were able to record and disseminate information anytime and anywhere for specific research goals. It can become a promising tool for collecting a large amount of data, more than half of which are reported by more than one person at the same time, thus improving the accuracy and authenticity of the information (Zhang et al, 2021). Such data have contributed to valuable analyses, such as the distribution and occurrence of cetaceans, and the promotion of the awareness of regional conservation efforts (Bonney et al, 2009; Bonney et al, 2014; McKinley et al, 2016).…”

“…Such information should include at least on‐site photos/videos (to help confirm species identification and to improve information authenticity), the number of stranded individuals, and the precise location and time provided by the mobile device's GPS. A fisherman‐based citizen science programme on the presence of Bryde's whales carried out around Weizhou Island (Zhang et al, 2021), has proven that by using an online recording scheme (with a mobile application and a real‐time online community), the fishermen were able to record and disseminate information anytime and anywhere for specific research goals. It can become a promising tool for collecting a large amount of data, more than half of which are reported by more than one person at the same time, thus improving the accuracy and authenticity of the information (Zhang et al, 2021).…”

Research on whales, dolphins, and porpoises

“…In this volume, Zhang et al . (2021b) investigated the distribution of the Bryde's whale ( Balaenoptera edeni ) in a whale‐watching region of this species by using boat‐based surveys and citizen science (i.e. mobile App and WeChat group).…”

“…Citizen science is increasingly becoming a costeffective and useful method to provide promising results in cetacean studies (Alessi et al 2019), and this approach can be more powerful once used in whale-watching waters (Currie et al 2018;Pirotta et al 2020). In this volume, Zhang et al (2021b) investigated the distribution of the Bryde's whale (Balaenoptera edeni) in a whale-watching region of this species by using boat-based surveys and citizen science (i.e. mobile App and WeChat group).…”