About the Database
- Overview
- Mission Statement / Purpose
- Scope / depth
- A note on statistical extrapolation
- Advocacy
- Protocol
- Duration
- Technology
- Two notes on outside websites
The Cetacean Stranding Database was an independent project by Roy Legaard, Jr. The construction of this database and website was largely completed as an Individual Study project through the Environmental Studies program at Wake Forest University (classes ENV 391, 392). As this was an independent project, I take full responsibility for the administration of this database and website.
To provide, to the best of my ability and in accordance with the below-stated methodology, a central resource documenting strandings of cetaceans reported in media around the world. It is the hope that this information, made available free of charge, can assist research and conservation efforts worldwide.
The Cetacean Stranding Database is not to be a totally comprehensive database and, as such, does not claim to guarantee to record every single stranding event that has occurred or is recorded via media; such coverage is practically impossible for one person to achieve. Rather, this project is designed as a best effort to gather and present as much accurate data as practicable in a time and cost-effective manner. In other words, while realizing that universal coverage is impossible given the current resources, I believe that having some data (as well as a central place to access that data) is better than not having any centrally-organized data.
Also, I believe that having a 'pilot' project such as this one can be helpful in showing better-funded entities, such as the National Marine Fisheries Service or Non-Governmental Organizations, how much can be accomplished by the efforts of a single college student at little to no monetary cost. I hope that the success of this database can make the idea of having a much more comprehensive database much more tenable.
A note on statistical extrapolation
Currently, the only service this database provides is to confirm the existence of a stranding, as reported in the media. It must be noted that, due to the non-universal scope of this project, statistical extrapolations about strandings should not be made from the data contained in the database. For example, one cannot cite the information in this database to support a statement such as ‘23% of whales stranded worldwide were sperm whales.’ Such a statement would be invalid because the data set contained in the database does not and cannot include all of the cetaceans stranded worldwide; therefore, the proportion of stranded species calculated from the database is likely different from the actual proportion. In general, be cautious about how one uses the database; using it to confirm the existence of a stranding is appropriate, but many statistical extrapolations would not likely be valid.
This database project is not intended to advocate any particular conservation position as a part of its construction and Internet presence. The only advocacy undertaken as part of this project (if any at all) is to promote the database as a model for future impartial databases. The database exists solely as a data-compiling entity, and all efforts are made to present the data in as impartial a manner as possible. While third parties may use the data for various analytical or research purposes, it is not the policy of this database or website to make such analyses.
A stranding entry is never made without at least one newspaper or journal article substantiating the existence of the stranding. Currently, newspaper and journal articles are the only acceptable sources; in most circumstances, the statement of a professional (e.g. marine biologist involved in or knowledgeable of a particular stranding event) can be used if there are no publications referencing the stranding(s). By limiting acceptable sources to these forms of media and statements, one can keep validity and accuracy at a high level while allowing for many strandings to be recorded.
Data Collection: Since reports of strandings do not often spread beyond the local media, using the online counterparts of local newspapers is a time-effective way to utilize the focus of local media in tracking cetacean strandings across the country and the world. Articles are found online by the following methods:
1) Google News Search: The Google News Search scans 4500 newspapers from around the world, and thus is a good start for efficiently searching local papers for reports of strandings. Eight different searches, each using eight-word Boolean combinations, are used in order to retrieve articles containing a broad array of cetaceans. Considerations are taken to conduct searches involving variations on the colloquial vocabulary used to describe strandings (i.e. "stranded," "beached," etc); searches also take into account the grammatical modularity of the selected terms (i.e. stranded, stranding, strandings, etc).
2) Monitoring of relevant Internet sites for stranding reports: There are times when stranding reports occur in articles from papers not covered by Google News. Therefore, regular monitoring will be done of several mailing lists and websites that report strandings from time to time and reference the news sources of such strandings.
3) Academic database search for particular article(s): If an article is known to exist but is no longer registered on Google News or the newspaper’s website, an academic database such as LexisNexis will be used to attempt retrieval of the article.
4) Conventional internet search for particular sites/news articles: When all other methods of searching are exhausted, a standard web search will be conducted in an effort to find news articles on conventional web pages.
Data Entry: The database is structured on a per-species basis. For example, if two species strand in the same location at the same time, there will be two separate entries in the database for each species. Data entry is done in an impartial manner, according to the informational guidelines of each variable (i.e. Date, Location, Species, etc.). For an idea of what I attempt to look for and document for each stranding, an explanation of the variables can be found here.
Although most of the initial development of this project was integrated into a credit-bearing college course, I worked on this database before such integration and continued to do so for some time after the course was over. The date range of this database is October 2003 to March 2005.
The database has been developed using the following open-source technologies: Apache HTTP Server, PHP scripting language, and MySQL database. Using open-source ensures viewing compatibility across platforms and provides the most cost-effective solution for a project such as this one. I sincerely thank the developers of these technologies for their extensive efforts, and especially their generosity in making these technologies free and available for all to utilize. Links to the homepages of these technologies are provided on their respective graphics.
1. Many of the stranding entries contain, as part of the bibliography, URLs (web addresses) to the articles upon which the entries relied for information. Each site has its own policy for online article retention, and some sites remove articles after a certain period of time. As such, there is little I can do on my end to compensate for these broken links. As a workaround, if you have access to a database such as LexisNexis, you can use the remaining bibliographic data to track down some articles.
2. As I have no control over these outside news sites, I cannot be responsible for their content.