Whale Shark Satellite Tracking and Habitat Suitability in the Indo-Pacific, 2015-2025

Long-term satellite tracking data for 70 whale sharks tagged at four aggregation sites in the Indonesian archipelago from 2015 to 2025. The dataset integrates state-space modeling and MaxEnt habitat suitability analyses to assess movement ecology and critical habitats. It was authored by Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling foraging versus migratory behavioral states based on movement data.
• Identifying critical year-round and seasonal habitats based on oceanographic and seafloor geomorphic predictors.
• Comparing sex and life-stage specific habitat preferences for demographic-specific conservation planning.
• Mapping migratory corridors and connectivity across national waters and Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction.

Strengths

• Data spans a decade (2015-2025), providing a long-term perspective on movement patterns.
• Includes tracking data for 70 individual whale sharks across four major aggregation sites.
• Integrates multiple analysis methods: state-space modeling and MaxEnt habitat suitability modeling.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The primary data file is a DOCX document (678.9 KB), suggesting the underlying tracking data may not be directly accessible in a structured format.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Mochamad Iqbal Herwata Putra.

Collection Method

Satellite tracking data integrated with state-space modeling and MaxEnt habitat suitability analyses.

Time Range

2015 to 2025

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 04:16:50; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Central Indo-Pacific, focusing on the Indonesian archipelago (Cenderawasih Bay, Kaimana, Saleh Bay, Gulf of Tomini) and surrounding seas (Flores Sea, Ceram Sea, Timor Sea, Banda-Arafura transition zone).