New interactive maps on the Indocet website !
The IndoCet website is intended to be an interactive platform and a source of information for IndoCet members, and, more broadly, for the scientific community. IndoCet members have their own user account/login through which they can update their metadata, report strandings, up/download publications, etc. The ambition for the website is to provide a living and useful repository that allows centralization and visualization of the cetacean data available from the region and to foster collaboration. Recent efforts have been made to develop interactive maps to centralise and share stranding, distribution, and satellite tracking data. We are proud to announce that they are now available online !
The first map displays data collected through the Network of Marine Mammal Observers (NeMMO) initiative. It currently includes data from 21 surveys using 5 different platforms of opportunity, led by different organisations and researchers from the region. A total of 1337 sightings of 26 cetacean species have been collected thus far. You can search the dataset by taxon (family or species) and program.
The second map presents stranding data collected by members of the IndoCet stranding network. A total of 397 strandings were reported in the region between 2000 and 2020 and led to the publication of Plönet al., 2023.
We would like to update the database to include strandings from2021-2024 and we kindly invite Indocet members who want to contribute to this initiative to update the Stranding metadata table as soon as possible by logging in to the IndoCet website. Thank you for your contribution to this regional effort !
The last map collates the satellite tracking data from humpback whales tagged in the region. This currently comprises the tracks of 59 animals tagged between 2012 and 2024 in Comoros, Madagascar, Tanzania, Reunion and Mauritius. You can search the dataset by year, sex, country of deployment, or individual name.
We hope these new tools are helpful for showcasing the work completed in the region. Thanks to all the contributor for sharing and taking part to this collaborative effort !
Contributors : Adrian Fajeau, Violaine Dulau
