Using social media as a cost‐effective resource in the photo‐identification of a coastal bottlenose dolphin community

Abstract

1. Bottlenose dolphins encountered around the Irish coast are considered part of a wide-ranging coastal community; however, knowledge on the significance of the north of Ireland for this species is limited by a lack of dedicated effort.2. Through social media, the opportunity now exists to gather large volumes of citizen science data in the form of high-quality images, potentially extending the spatial and temporal scope of photo-identification studies.3. The purpose of this study was to investigate social media as a data resource for photo-identification studies and to provide a preliminary assessment of bottlenose dolphins in the north of Ireland. Specifically, the study sought to examine the photo-identification data for spatial clustering.4. The study identified 54 well-marked individuals and provided evidence of potential year-round occurrence, with successful re-sightings throughout the study period (2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016). There was a geographic concentration of re-sightings along

Rostrum abnormalities in the endangered Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) in South Africa

“…The unusual rostrum morphology found in humpback dolphins could represent a natural but inconvenient situation for the southernmost portion of the South African population. The morphological abnormalities characterized here seem to be specific to this species, as no similar cases could be found in this or other species in the Sousa genus, and only one similar case could be found in coastal bottlenose dolphins (Gibson et al 2020). A few cases of morphological abnormalities potentially linked to congenital disorders are reported in humpback dolphin species (Sousa chinensis and Sousa teutzii), but these were all related to vertebral anomalies of the affected individuals (Weir & Wang 2016).…”

Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Obtain Biodiversity Data About Cetaceans in a Poorly Monitored Area

“…Overall, when taking into consideration the advantages of iEcology and if the disadvantages are carefully assessed and disclosed, social media posts from whale-watching companies can reveal critical information about cetaceans in poorly monitored regions of the world. Eventually, iEcology data from these regions can lead to the proposal and implementation of conservation plans (Pace et al, 2019) and other studies (e.g., photo-identification) (Gibson et al, 2020), or more importantly, providing valuable information for the inventory of the global conservation status of cetaceans by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).…”

“…Nowadays, iEcology is another tool that should be included in the toolkit of cetacean ecologists while being perfected. Some successful examples include the photo-identification of Tursiops truncatus in the Irish coast (Gibson et al, 2020) and obtaining estimates of changes in population density of Delphinus delphis based on stranded specimens (Robbins et al, 2020). Also, social media records about the presence/absence of cetaceans in the central Tyrrhenian Sea between 2008 and 2017 led to the recommendation of conservation policies (Pace et al, 2019), while in Kenya, a combination of multiple methodologies (dedicated surveys, opportunistic sightings, citizen science) successfully retrieved information about marine mammals over 9 years (Mwango'mbe et al, 2021).…”

Killer whale (Orcinus orca) population dynamics in response to a period of rapid ecosystem change in the eastern North Atlantic

“…This technique offers the possibility to include images from participants other than primary research teams (e.g., citizen science), thus increasing sample size at reduced costs and allowing for data collection in regions for which funding may be limited (Gibson et al, 2020).…”

“…In cetacean research, photo‐identification is a noninvasive way to consistently “capture” (first photographic record) and “recapture” (subsequent photographic records) individually recognizable animals over time, using long‐lasting natural markings (Hammond, 1990). This technique offers the possibility to include images from participants other than primary research teams (e.g., citizen science), thus increasing sample size at reduced costs and allowing for data collection in regions for which funding may be limited (Gibson et al, 2020). Best practices in image manipulation, scoring, and cataloguing are important to allow generation of robust capture history datasets for analysis (Urian et al, 2015).…”