Please be reminded of the workshop taking place at the SMM:

Flukebook: A joint platform for citizen scientists and dedicated researchers

The use of citizen science data in wildlife research has grown over the last five years. Images and sighting reports from citizen scientists are now becoming the most abundant and inexpensive sources of wildlife data. With decreasing research budgets and increasing concerns for wild populations, citizen science has been seen as an important source of data collection, but also as a way of developing engagement on conservation issues with the public. But to date, many citizen scientist initiatives are focused solely on pooling data and lack powerful tools for managing and analysing data. Flukebook enables cloud-based data management, computer-vision assisted species detection, automated photo-identification, and analysis (online and exported to common platforms) into one system which allows citizen scientists to contribute and track their submissions and the individual whales they have met, while also enabling collaboration between multiple institutions of dedicated researchers in order to address questions over biological relevant scales across which no one research team could financially or practically operate. We are building a community of researchers, commercial naturalists, and public enthusiasts who are committed to these species. This workshop will detail Flukebook's capabilities and enable attendees to help shape Flukebook into a tool that is practical, accessible, and useful for all.

Register through the conference website http://www.smmconference.org/WorkshopDescriptions

For questions or more details please contact:

Jason Holmberg (jason@wildme.org) or Shane Gero (shane.gero@bios.au.dk)   

See you there!