Antarctic Killer Whale Photo-ID Catalog for McMurdo Sound

Photo-identification images of Antarctic Type C killer whales and Antarctic minke whales were collected from helicopter and sea ice platforms. The work expands a photo-ID database active since 2013 to create a catalog for McMurdo Sound during summer months. The dataset was compiled by SCIOPS and last updated in February 2018.

Use Cases

• Identify individual whales and track site fidelity over time using unique markings in the photo-ID images.
• Relate acoustic recordings to specific visual whale sightings documented in the catalog.
• Analyze population structure and movements of Antarctic Type C killer whales within McMurdo Sound.
• Expand long-term monitoring efforts for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area using the catalog data.

Strengths

• Database expansion builds upon data collected since 2013, providing a multi-year baseline.
• Images collected from multiple platforms (helicopter and sea ice) offer varied observation angles.
• Supports specific conservation objectives for the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area.

Limitations

• Sample size and number of identified individuals are unknown from the description.
• Data is temporally stale, with no updates recorded since February 2018.
• Geographic scope is limited to McMurdo Sound during summer months.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Images collected from a helicopter and from the sea ice.

Time Range

Database active since 2013; specific collection dates for this entry are null.

Freshness

Last updated 2018-02-01; update frequency is null.

Geography

McMurdo Sound, Antarctica.