Data Sources & Attribution
WhaleWatch uses publicly available scientific datasets. We are grateful to the organisations below for making their data accessible. See our full CREDITS.md for detailed license information.
E.U. Copernicus Marine Service
Ocean covariate data (mixed layer depth, sea level anomaly, and primary production) is provided by the Copernicus Marine Service. This study has been conducted using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information. https://marine.copernicus.eu/
Global Ocean Physics Reanalysis — doi:10.48670/moi-00021
Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Hindcast — doi:10.48670/moi-00019
CMIP6 Climate Projections
Climate-projected ocean covariates are derived from CMIP6 model outputs (SSP2-4.5 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios, 2030s–2080s) distributed via the Copernicus Climate Data Store (doi:10.24381/cds.c866074c) under CC-BY 4.0.
We acknowledge the World Climate Research Programme, which, through its Working Group on Coupled Modelling, coordinated and promoted CMIP6. We thank the climate modelling groups for producing and making available their model output, the Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) for archiving the data and providing access, and the multiple funding agencies who support CMIP6 and ESGF.
| Model | Institution |
|---|---|
| IPSL-CM6A-LR | Institut Pierre-Simon Laplace, France |
| MPI-ESM1-2-LR | Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, Germany |
| UKESM1-0-LL | Met Office Hadley Centre / NERC, UK |
| GFDL-ESM4 | NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab, USA |
| NorESM2-LM | NorESM Climate Modelling Consortium, Norway |
OBIS Cetacean Sightings
OBIS (2024). Ocean Biodiversity Information System. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. www.obis.org. Accessed 2024.
GEBCO Bathymetry
GEBCO Compilation Group (2023). GEBCO 2023 Grid. doi:10.5285/f98b053b-0cbc-6c23-e053-6c86abc0af7b
US Government Data (Public Domain)
Works produced by the US Federal Government are in the public domain under 17 U.S.C. § 105.
Nisi et al. 2024 — Global Whale-Ship Collision Risk
Nisi, A.C., Becker, E.A., Pinsky, M.L., & Palumbi, S.R. (2024). Ship collision risk threatens whales across the world's oceans. Science, 386(6724), 870–875. doi:10.1126/science.adp1950
Map Tiles
© CARTO Dark Matter basemap · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
3D Whale Models
3D whale models by Nestaeric on Sketchfab. Blue whale, humpback whale, sperm whale, and killer whale models used under the Sketchfab download license.
Species Illustrations
Cetacean species illustrations in the identification wizard are sourced from NOAA Fisheries Species Directory. These illustrations are used for educational and conservation purposes on this non-commercial platform.
General credit: NOAA Fisheries
Select illustrations: Jack Hornady / NOAA Fisheries (Dall's porpoise, Atlantic spotted dolphin)
NARW infographics: NOAA Fisheries Office of Protected Resources — identification features, common behaviors, and right whale vs. humpback comparison guides
NOAA Fisheries grants permission to use graphics on a case-by-case basis. Permission has been requested for these illustrations. Graphics are not redistributed outside this platform.
Wikimedia Commons
Cetacean anatomy diagrams in the identification wizard are sourced from Wikimedia Commons and used under their respective Creative Commons licenses.
Dolphin Anatomy Diagram: by WikipedianProlific & Wilfredor, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Orca Anatomy Diagram: by Petruss, CC0 (public domain), via Wikimedia Commons
Baleen vs Toothed Whale Comparison: by Chris huh, translated from Italian to English, Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons
ML Training Data
See CREDITS.md for detailed license terms, DOIs, and compliance notes.