Sharkbook

Sharkbook is the result of collaboration between Simon J Pierce of the Marine Megafauna Foundation and Jason Holmberg of Wild Me.

[1][2][3] Whale sharks have unique spot patterning on their sides, similar to a human fingerprint, which allows for individual identification.

[4][5][6][7][8] Additionally, the software automatically searches social media sites like YouTube and Instagram to look for images of whale sharks and adds them to the database.

[3][9] This software uses a scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, which can cope with complications presented by highly variable spot patterns and low contrast photographs.

Sharkbook represents a global initiative to centralize shark sightings and facilitate research on these vulnerable species.