NASA technology can help save whale sharks, says Australian marine biologist and founder of ECOCEAN, Brad Norman

NASA technology can help save whale sharks, says Australian marine biologist and founder of ECOCEAN, Brad Norman

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To help protect the species, Australian marine biologist Brad Norman co-founded The Wildbook for Whale Sharks, a photo identification database that went online in 2003.

Members of the public, scientists and tour operators of whale sharks around the world contribute photos of whale sharks to the system, which uses NASA technology to map their locations and track their movements. Today, the database contains more than 70,000 registrations from more than 50 countries – making it one of the largest conservation projects of collective origin in the world.

Despite their imposing size – whale sharks can grow to 20 meters (65 feet) in length – these gentle giants pose no danger to swimmers. Feeding on plankton and tiny marine organisms, they sail at a maximum speed of 5 kilometers per hour, allowing divers and divers to get up close.

Norman has studied these charismatic creatures for over 25 years. He first swam with a whale shark in the turquoise waters of the Ningaloo reef on the north coast of Western Australia. “It was one of the most incredible experiences I’ve ever had,” he recalls. “I will never forget that.”

Marine biologist Brad Norman photographing a whale shark.

That whale shark – nicknamed Stumpy because of its deformed tail – was the first entry into a photo identification library that Norman created in 1995. The library, later operated by Norman conservation organization ECOCEAN, became the base from The Wildbook for Whale Sharks.
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A slow swimmer, Stumpy is relatively easy to keep up with, says Norman. “I see him almost every year and … I think ‘Good morning, man, how are you?”

Since that first encounter, Norman has swam with whale sharks on thousands of occasions – and says he still enjoys it every time.

Why NASA technology works for whale sharks

The images sent to The Wildbook for Whale Sharks are analyzed by an algorithm that checks the spots and stripes on the animal’s skin, which are as unique as a human fingerprint, says Norman. The algorithm identifies the shark by searching the database for a matching pattern.

Whale sharks are identified by the marks on their skin.

Adapted from technology first developed for NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope program, the algorithm works for whale sharks because their marks on the skin form star-like patterns in the night sky.

Norman says that collectively, data on the location of whale sharks and migration routes inform decisions about management strategies for habitat protection. “I can only be in one place, one at a time,” he says. “It is very important to have members of the public assist with our project.”

Is swimming with whale sharks good for them?

Norman says he would “encourage anyone who has the opportunity to swim with a whale shark”.

However, more boats, divers and divers in whale shark areas can be problematic. Norman warns that the impact on sharks must be minimized.

In Western Australia, whale shark tour operators are strictly regulated with limits on the number of people and licensed vessels in the water close to the animals at any one time – and a percentage of sales go to the management of the whale shark industry.

However, regulation and enforcement are weaker elsewhere.

In the Maldives, whale sharks are a popular attraction, but government guidelines designed to protect sharks from harassment are often violated. This can cause stress for animals, while boat crash injuries can affect their development and ability to travel long distances.
Whale sharks in the Philippines routinely receive food to lure them to places where visitors can easily see them. This can alter shark diving patterns and metabolism, while a high level of scarring indicates an increase in the number of boat crashes. The agglomeration of tourist activities and food can also lead to the degradation of coral reefs.

But where whale shark tourism is practiced responsibly, it can help save the species. Norman hopes to see more data collection around the world, filling information gaps and strengthening conservation efforts. He’s looking for what he calls the “Holy Grail” – finding out where whale sharks mate. Protecting their breeding grounds is “the only big thing” needed to save the species in the long run, he says. The help of thousands of citizen scientists gives you a better chance of making this possible.

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