CONSHARKVATION.ORG

DATA MINING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AS A RESEARCH TOOL FOR SHARKS AND RAYS CONSERVATION.

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The present project seeks to implement a pioneer approach to the study of elasmobranchs in the Azores, using social media posts to extract sighting data.

Marine tourism activities in the Azores take thousands of people every year to explore the oceanic wilderness, thus highlighting the importance of conservation of marine species and their role on the development of remote regions, such as oceanic islands; boosting local economy and enhancing the value of ecotourism and sustainable practices.

Tours to observe oceanic megafauna, like cetaceans and sharks, provide the collection of valuable data to better understands the presence and value of these marine species. Furthermore, the easy access to smartphone and photography cameras to register sightings and species behaviour have revolutionized the way we understand animals, changing paradigms from fear to awe worldwide.

To better understand the real economical value behind activities such as shark diving and overall marine tourism, we will promote a pilot study on the data mining in social of media in order to evaluate the importance of elasmobranch sighting in the Azores, using hashtags and location tags to retrieve data.

Find bellow images related to the presence of elasmobranchs registered in the Azores by divers and marine tourists.