WHALE SHARKS IDENTIFIED
Currently we are processing hundreds of images to create the "fingerprint files"; the next step is to submit them all to several global databases to check where else, if anywhere, these sharks have been seen.
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Whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the world. The iconic status and placid nature of the species has made these sharks the subject of popular marine tourism industries. However, it has become increasingly evident in recent years that regional whale shark populations have suffered major declines. These declines are linked to directed fisheries targeting whale sharks for their fins and meat, and the continuing nature of this threat has led to whale sharks being listed as ‘Vulnerable’ internationally on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Though broadly distributed through tropical and subtropical waters, whale sharks are rare or seasonal throughout most of their range. Whale sharks are a highly migratory species and individual sharks are likely to regularly travel through multiple political jurisdictions, potentially varying from fisheries target to protected species as they do so. Thus, to effectively conserve the species it is important to assess its population status over broad geographical scales. Researchers need to estimate the size of remaining populations and whether the global whale shark population is subdivided into different stocks, which would then necessitate a series of independent regional population estimates. Though data is difficult to gather as individual scientists and research teams, these aims can be achieved relatively quickly and inexpensively through collaborative studies.
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Whale Shark Photo ID