openPR Logo
Press release

Whale sharks cooperatively tracked through Honduras, Belize and Mexico

06-18-2007 12:08 PM CET | Science & Education

Press release from: Utila Whale Shark Research

June 13, 2007 - In the aftermath of another Whale Shark death at Georgia Aquarium, here is a group of researchers that are using ground breaking technology to achieve real research results with out the aid of financial backing from large companies, and are getting results in the wild.

Scientists have suspected for years that whale sharks (Rhindcodon typus) travel from the island of Utila, Honduras up through the waters of Belize to Mexico as part of a long, annual migration, but no individual whale shark has ever been cooperatively tracked by researchers in each country. Different research teams may see the same individuals along the route year after year, but never before has a team of scientists “connected the dots” on this spotted animal to track them between a series of different research stations. In 2007, broad cooperative efforts between researchers and ecotourists in the three countries are producing a more detailed picture of the behavior of these rare and “gentle giants”.

Tracking whale sharks isn’t easy. Traditional satellite and archival tags are expensive and have a very high failure rate that may be the result of the great depths that whale sharks can regularly dive to. These tags also generate data over only a few months, which is insufficient to create the long-term histories needed to model this population. To overcome these barriers, biologists and resort owners in Honduras, Belize, and Mexico have begun working within the ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library to coordinate data collection and to use its NASA-inspired software to analyze photographs collected from tourists and research staff and to identify individual whale sharks based on their natural spot patterning. The results of their efforts proved to be immediately fruitful.

Two whale sharks have recently been linked between all three research stations, an unprecedented achievement in whale shark research. Shark BZ-001 has been logged twelve times since 2002 and was recorded in all three locations in 2007. Shark MXA-008 has also been sighted at each station a total of seven times since 2004. Several other sharks have been directly linked between Utila, Honduras and the Gladden Spit Marine Reserve, Belize over the past three years, and the inclusion of Mexico in the 2007 research will no doubt create more matches. These results represent the first cooperative, multi-national, and multi-year effort to track whale sharks over their long migration routes and to share collected data.

The roots of this cooperative effort began three years ago with two resorts in Utila, Deep Blue Utila and the Utila Lodge , leading independent whale shark research programs. Steve Fox and Jasmine Dale, of Deep Blue joined the ECOCEAN Library in 2005 and began contributing data collected by tourists and visiting researchers to a global database of whale shark information. Subsequent conferences and face-to-face meetings at Deep Blue Utila not only united the resorts in their efforts, adding Dale Forbes and his many years of data from Utila Lodge to the work, but also introduced members of the regional research community, such as Lisa Carne of Belize, to the potential for better science through cooperation. In 2007, Rafael de la Parra from Mexico’s Domino Project joined, contributing data that linked photos from all three countries to individual whale sharks migrating through their waters.

Many more discoveries are expected as this “brain trust” of resort owners, divers, conservationists, and marine biologists unite to study these rare and beautiful sharks. Because whale sharks are currently listed as “Vulnerable to Extinction” by the IUCN , this fresh approach to cooperative conservation and science may be just what this migratory animal needs to protect it along its annual journeys in the Caribbean.

The Utila Whale Shark Research Project is managed locally by the staff of Deep Blue Utila, and data is collected from visiting divers and snorkellers and from local fishermen. Data from the project is entered into the ECOCEAN Whale Shark Photo-identification Library where it can be accessed by researchers all over the world. Using the ECOCEAN Library ensures that collected data is available locally and globally, and the open and visible nature of the database and its built-in email system ensure that contributors are informed of how their data is being used. Deep Blue Utila is committed to utilizing the best technologies and methodologies available while maintaining complete transparency and maximum safety, both for researchers and for the whale sharks, in data collection. Our objective is to make our project's results available for local conservation efforts and to ensure their validity through peer review and publication.

Media Contact, Steve Fox of Utila Whale Shark Research Tel Honduras (504) 981 500 87 Address is Utila Whale Shark Research, Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras.

Email Steve@UtilaWhaleSharkResearch.com

Website www.UtilaWhaleSharkResearch.com

This release was published on openPR.

Permanent link to this press release:

Copy
Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release.

You can edit or delete your press release Whale sharks cooperatively tracked through Honduras, Belize and Mexico here

News-ID: 22386 • Views:

More Releases for Honduras

Honduras Tourism: Hotel Sandoval 40 Years in Business
Nueva Ocotepeque, Honduras (Date Published) not submitted Although tourism is impacted globally, Hotel Sandoval operating in the western part of Honduras lives and breathes comfort, tranquility and tourism. Whether you are looking to visit the south of Honduras for business and/or adventure, Hotel Sandoval has you covered. Their spacious rooms, restaurant, and pool area offer the best of both worlds. The restaurant on-site, open-air pool area and patio, and fast WiFI
Honduras Global Key Players - Tigo Honduras, Claro Honduras, Hondutel, and Multi …
Honduras Overview "Honduras: Country Intelligence Report", a new Country Intelligence Report provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Honduras today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV segments, as well as a review of key regulatory trends. Honduras’ telecom
Honduras Upcoming 3G and 4G Spectrum Allocations Competition Market Report 2017
Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently announced the addition of a fresh report, titled “Honduras: Upcoming 3G and 4G Spectrum Allocations to Attract New Player and Drive Mobile Competition” to its report offerings. The report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile and pay-TV sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory
Online Honduras TV
This Online Honduras TV is made by the experts who tend to meet the needs of our users. The innovative TV application empowers you to watch local, as well as the International TV channels and additionally listen to live Radio streams. This application is composed just for iOS gadget and serves diverse TV program, motion pictures, news, music and additionally YouTube recordings etc. This Honduras TV application, designed for iPad,
Honduras Aerial Surveys
GeoAir delivers complete digital aerial imagery for the cadastre in the state of Cortés in Honduras The project called Catastro de Cortés is a free public service provided by the Instituto de la Propiedad (IP) through the Programa de Administración de Tierras de Honduras (PATH). It deals mainly with cartographic activities and cadastral information of 5 municipalities in the state of Cortés: San Pedro Sula, Puerto Cortés, Choloma, Villanueva, and
Fantasy Island Resort in Roatan Honduras Sure to Please
Roatan, Honduras – December 15th , 2009 - Located on picturesque Honduras Roatan is one of the most sought after resort locations for vacationers from all over the world. The 30 mile long island has become a favourite for travelers for its serene Caribbean landscapes and warm tropical breezes. Surrounded by bright white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters the Fantasy Island Beach Resort by Privilege Hotels sits majestically amidst