Star-Mapping Tools Enable Tracking of Endangered Animals

About this technology

Overview

Software programmer Jason Holmberg, of Portland, Oregon, partnered with a Goddard Space Flight Center astrophysicist to develop a method for tracking the elusive whale shark using the unique spot patterns on the fish's skin. Employing a star-mapping algorithm originally designed for the Hubble Space Telescope, Holmberg created a photograph database and pattern-matching system that can identify whale sharks by their spots and match images contributed to the database by photographers from around the world. The system has been adapted for tracking other rare and endangered animals, including polar bears and ocean sunfish.