General Update
Posted on Jun 14, 2009 by bruce_moore
... A Call Out for Wonderpus Photos ... General Update ... Facebook ... The Ability to Click ...
Our friend Christine Huffard, who has been the main engine behind the recent description of the Wonderpus (now named Wonderpus photogenicus), is asking for more photographs to support the study of this enthralling beastie. This is what she is asking, in her own words:
WANTED
Your Photographs of Wunderpus and dive site information
What will the pictures be used for?
Wunderpus is one of the most popular animals divers seek here, yet almost everything about their lives
remains a mystery. We do not know how rare they are, how large an area they roam, or how long
they live. Their rarity and their small size have made them especially difficult to study in the past.
We are currently tracking Wunderpus in the wild using photoidentification. Just like whales, dolphins,
manta rays, and whale sharks, each Wunderpus photogenicus has a unique body color pattern.
When we compare multiple photographs of the same animal, taken at different times and places, we can
learn about their migration patterns, population density, and behavior.
What information is needed?
1. Clear photographs of Wunderpus photogenicus taken from above.
2. Date each photo was taken
3. Dive site (such as Aer Perang) and country where each photo was taken. GPS if available.
4. Additional information (depth, what it was doing, was it at its den or actively foraging, any
conspicuous landmarks nearby)
5. Copyright information
How do I contribute?
Email pictures and information to wunderpix@gmail.com
Is this a commercial use?
No. We intend only to use these photographs for research. If we ever wish to post or publish your image,
we will contact you for permission. Additionally, we will never give out your personal information.
Where can I find more information?
1. Visit the website: http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/Wunderpix.html.
2. Read the paper (freely available on the web):
Individually unique body color patterns in octopus (Wunderpus photogenicus) allow for photoidentification
by Christine L. Huffard, Roy L. Caldwell, Ned DeLoach, David Wayne Gentry, Paul Humann, Bill
MacDonald, Bruce Moore, Richard Ross, Takako Uno, Stephen Wong
3. Feel free to email me (wunderpix@gmail.com) with questions, comments, or stories about Wunderpus
or any other octopuses.
Thank you!
Christine Huffard, Ph.D.
Cephalopod Biologist
What else? Well, we've been busy working on improvements at BSDR, with addition walkways, additional furniture, more pictures on the walls and other touches that repeat guests will be sure to notice.
My industrious wife has taken on that million-headed networking hydra known as Facebook. She has opened a Black Sand Dive Retreat page and in two weeks it has swelled to over 121 members. Have a look.
And as for myself, I am chuffed that after a lengthy spell without being able to take pictures underwater, I am finally able to take aquatic happy snaps once again. The picture attached is of a small pair of halimeda ghost pipefish found recently. Woo-Hoo!!
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