DISCOVERY: Photo-ID data-management system

Abstract

Several computer-assisted systems have been developed in recent years, in an attempt to solve the data management issues in individual photographic identification. Most of these platforms, however, have been project-specific and/or focused on specialized matching routines. A more dynamic generalized system that could assist researchers at all levels of data collection and management is still lacking; a system that not only provides the ability to match individuals but also stores, manages, and processes images, provides file naming routines, assists with filtering of raw data and all levels of individual-ID matching as well as linking sighting information with environmental, geographic, and several other user-defined/project-specific parameters. This workshop will introduce such dynamic computer-assisted approach that can assist researchers at all stages of mark-recapture analyses; not only with the matching of individual photo-ID images, but also at the multitude of steps of field data collection and subsequent analyses that takes place after individual matching has been completed. DISCOVERY software was designed and developed to store, manage, process and provide basic analyses of photographic ID data and associated field records, and to structures data for other analytical platforms such as SocProg and Mark. DISCOVERY software can be used for a single species in a single location as well as multiple species across multiple study areas. A dynamic set of import functions allows users to seamlessly integrate their existing datasets into the programs database system and export data into popular programs such as Microsoft Access and Excel. A Geographic Information System component graphically displays sightings and can incorporate ESRI shapefiles for the study area and/or other geographic information of interest. Analytical tools were developed to provide basic summary information (such as plots of discovery curves, sighting and re-sighting histories, group sizes, etc.) stored in the database. We believe DISCOVERY provides a dynamic tool that facilitates easy integration of all collected photo-identification and sighting data; a tool that efficiently stores, visualizes, and maintains these data and allows export to and from other tools. The system can be particularly useful for maintaining a centralized database for research projects that maintain data on a large geographical scale with multiple research teams working with different databases and species. The flexible capabilities of DISCOVERY allows the system to be adaptable to suit project-specific requirements and user-specific needs. (Abstract from website of The Society for Marine Mammalogy)