Behavioral Studies on Humpback Whales in the Waters off New England through the Creation of an Online Ethogram (Behavioral Catalog) that uses Multiple Formats

I intend to build upon my previous research studies on humpback whales in New England waters by creating an ethogram (catalog) that depicts the repertoire of humpback behavior through multiple formats. This catalog will go beyond traditional ethograms by incorporating advances in image and video technology (digital video, photographic imaging and computer animation) to create a comprehensive research and educational tool that supports different learning styles. Working with colleagues in Library Services, video recordings taken at sea will be digitized and used to develop coherent archival, categorization and access strategies. This behavioral collection will be shared with the Bridgewater State College (BSC) community through campus presentations, coursework and continued research activities involving undergraduates. Additionally, the humpback ethogram will be freely accessible to the public through the BSC website. These activities will act as the pilot project for a Whale and Marine Life Digital Archive Project, currently being discussed at BSC