Starting a new photo ID catalogue in Flukebook and having doubts

[Ana]

Hello,

My name is Ana, and I am working on bottlenose dolphins in Ireland.

We are considering migrating our photo-identification database from FinBase to Flukebook and would like to clarify a few points before proceeding:

• Our goal is to centralize all our data in one platform, including surveys with no sightings and encounters where dolphins were observed but not photographs were obtained. Is it possible to store this type of data in Flukebook?
• Is there currently an option to upload the full GPS track of survey transects (not just encounters coordinates)? if not, is this planned for future development?
• Regarding bulk imports, we noticed that the standard fields described in the Wildbook manual may not cover all the variables important for our study. Is it possible to add new ones?
• We understand that queries are mainly performed using encounter table filters. Are more complex queries supported within Flukebook, or would data need to be exported and analyzed using other software?
• For data visualization, is it possible to display all sightings associated with a single Location ID across multiple years on the web map?
• Finally, we would like to ask current Flukebook users whether Flukebook is their sole database or if they also maintain an additional database alongside it.

Thank you very much for your time and help.

Best regards,

Ana

[Anastasia]

Hi @Ana, welcome!

@Ana

Our goal is to centralize all our data in one platform, including surveys with no sightings and encounters where dolphins were observed but not photographs were obtained. Is it possible to store this type of data in Flukebook?

Yes. Photos are not required to report an encounter or sighting.

@Ana

Is there currently an option to upload the full GPS track of survey transects (not just encounters coordinates)? if not, is this planned for future development?

No, this isn’t currently supported or planned, but it sounds like a good candidate for a Feature Request.

@Ana

Regarding bulk imports, we noticed that the standard fields described in the Wildbook manual may not cover all the variables important for our study. Is it possible to add new ones?

It depends. Some fields can be utilized in multiple ways. If a custom field is needed, you can add a Feature Request for it.

@Ana

We understand that queries are mainly performed using encounter table filters. Are more complex queries supported within Flukebook, or would data need to be exported and analyzed using other software?

It depends on what kind of exactly you’re trying to filter. We’d need more information to give you a better answer.

@Ana

For data visualization, is it possible to display all sightings associated with a single Location ID across multiple years on the web map?

After entering your search filters to narrow down sightings or encounters in a specific location ID, click on the Map View tab.

[Ana]

Thank you so much for your answer Anastasia