Presentation Type
Poster
Full Name of Faculty Mentor
Robert F. Young, Marine Science
Major
Marine Science
Presentation Abstract
Bottlenose dolphins are protected and managed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. When dolphins die (strand), researchers investigate the cause of death, but additional information regarding past experience and distribution can help to identify long-term exposure to pathogens and threats. The objective of this study is to use dorsal fin photo-identification to identify stranded bottlenose dolphins by matching them to known individuals from historical CCU research survey data. Photos from vessel-based surveys in Cape Romain, Murrells Inlet, Winyah Bay, and North Inlet, SC were sorted, cropped, and compared to existing fins in the CCU catalog using finFindR, a photo processing application. Images were then entered into the FinBase photo database as either a match or a new ID. The updated CCU catalog was then compared to stranded dolphin fin images on the OBIS-SEAMAP Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog. Matches were reported, and sighting histories provided for stranded animals in order to aid in the management of dolphin populations.
Start Date
12-4-2023 4:00 PM
End Date
12-4-2023 6:00 PM
Disciplines
Oceanography
Recommended Citation
Richa, Grace, "Telling their story: Identifying stranded bottlenose dolphins using dorsal fin photo-identification to match known individuals" (2023). Undergraduate Research Competition. 79.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/ugrc/2023/fullconference/79
Included in
Telling their story: Identifying stranded bottlenose dolphins using dorsal fin photo-identification to match known individuals
Bottlenose dolphins are protected and managed under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. When dolphins die (strand), researchers investigate the cause of death, but additional information regarding past experience and distribution can help to identify long-term exposure to pathogens and threats. The objective of this study is to use dorsal fin photo-identification to identify stranded bottlenose dolphins by matching them to known individuals from historical CCU research survey data. Photos from vessel-based surveys in Cape Romain, Murrells Inlet, Winyah Bay, and North Inlet, SC were sorted, cropped, and compared to existing fins in the CCU catalog using finFindR, a photo processing application. Images were then entered into the FinBase photo database as either a match or a new ID. The updated CCU catalog was then compared to stranded dolphin fin images on the OBIS-SEAMAP Mid-Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin Catalog. Matches were reported, and sighting histories provided for stranded animals in order to aid in the management of dolphin populations.