Restructuring of the Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog to Accommodate Digital Images and Digital Matching

New England Aquarium Corporation, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

The New England Aquarium Corporation has been awarded a grant to integrate, extend and modify their Right Whale Photo-Identification Catalog database. Specifically, they will develop a database management structure and related software that will: 1) archive and link digital images to the sightings database, 2) track images and their matching status, 3) provide a matching system to search, identify and catalog digital images, 4) allow web access to these images and the matching system and 5) provide a software template for other institutions to use and/or modify. This database already plays a fundamental role in Right Whale research and conservation and this project will significantly augment its functionality and utility in those respects.