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Published

whale

vr.tr.whale · thing-q1865281

Let an agent explain whales in the inclusive sense of all Cetacea, relay biology, diversity, behaviour and conservation from marine science and IWC sources with positions on whaling attributed, describe baleen whales and toothed whales including dolphins and porpoises, route strandings and entanglements to rescue authorities, and distinguish cetaceans from whale sharks, which are fish.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems PHY.LIV
Bundle → Layer → Finding → QuestionsClassifiersWhat it isWhy it existsDistinguishing featuresWhat robots and AI may and may not doMoral aspectsOwnersLinks to other meta-modelsIdentity and identifiersDirect propertiesRecognitionCapabilities and actionsHazards and failure modesStandards and interfacesContext of useSources

Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled

4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions

Understand What a whale is.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a whale, and how does it differ from dolphins, porpoises, whale sharks and Cetacea as a whole? definition
  2. Has someone found a stranded or entangled whale, in which case report it to marine rescue authorities and keep a safe distance? boundary

Groups

Named groups.

Groups

Groups.

  1. How do toothed whales such as the sperm whale differ from baleen whales? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific group? action
Biology Biology.

Evolution

Evolution.

Evolution

Evolution.

  1. How did whales evolve from land mammals? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Behaviour

Behaviour and song.

Behaviour

Behaviour.

  1. What do researchers know about whale song, migration and diving? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Conservation Conservation.

Whaling

Whaling.

Whaling

Whaling.

  1. What are the positions of whaling nations, the IWC and conservation groups, attributed to each? provenance
  2. Is the presentation neutral and attributed? boundary

Threats

Modern threats.

Threats

Threats.

  1. How do ship strikes, entanglement and noise affect whales? provenance
  2. Which entry fits North Atlantic right whale? action
Context Culture.

Whale watching

Whale watching.

Whale watching

Whale watching.

  1. What guidelines apply to responsible whale watching? provenance
  2. Which entry fits whale watching? action

Culture

Culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How do Indigenous whaling traditions and literature such as Moby-Dick feature whales? provenance
  2. Which entry fits aboriginal subsistence whaling? action

Classifiers Filled

Family
Thing Registry
Category
Physical world and living systems
Entry kind
thing
Plane
PHY
Domain
PHY.LIV
Other names and narrower kinds
Odontoceti, sperm whale

What it is Filled

A mammal of the order Cetacea, including all baleen whales, Mysticeti, and toothed whales, Odontoceti, including dolphins and porpoises; cetaceans include marine and freshwater species, the blue whale is the largest animal on Earth, and the sperm whale is the largest toothed predator. Many cetacean populations were heavily reduced by commercial whaling, and the International Whaling Commission's commercial-whaling moratorium took effect in 1986, though some countries continue whaling under objections or outside the IWC, and many species remain threatened by ship strikes, entanglement, noise and climate change. Stranded or entangled cetaceans should be reported to rescue authorities rather than approached.

Why it exists Filled

Let an agent explain whales in the inclusive sense of all Cetacea, relay biology, diversity, behaviour and conservation from marine science and IWC sources with positions on whaling attributed, describe baleen whales and toothed whales including dolphins and porpoises, route strandings and entanglements to rescue authorities, and distinguish cetaceans from whale sharks, which are fish.

Distinguishing features Filled

  • Air-breathing
  • Baleen or teeth
  • Complex vocalisations
  • Conservation concern

What robots and AI may and may not do Filled

Must not

  • Approach, chase or crowd whales with vessels or drones closer than the rules allow.
  • Expose whales to loud underwater noise that disturbs or injures them.
  • Assist in hunting whales or in trading whale products where it is prohibited.
  • Publish precise real-time locations of vulnerable whales where that could lead to harm.

Only with a human decision

  • Any intervention with a stranded or entangled whale.
  • Decisions about euthanasia of a stranded whale.

May

  • Identify whale species from photographs, flukes and acoustic recordings.
  • Report sightings, entanglements or strandings to the responsible authority.

Moral aspects Filled

  • Whales are long-lived, intelligent animals harmed by ship strikes, nets and noise.
  • Whaling is an unresolved dispute between conservation and claimed cultural rights.

Who is affected

  • Whales themselves
  • Coastal and indigenous communities
  • Mariners and whale watchers

Owners Filled

Steward

Nobody: whales are wild and protected by international and national law.

Master systems

  • National and international cetacean sighting and stranding databases

Links to other meta-models Filled

parent

  • Q160 - registry parent class
  • Q382441 - registry parent class

related

  • marine mammal - in registry terms
  • Cetacea
  • sperm whale
  • International Whaling Commission

What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled

Identity and identifiers required Filled

  • Vercy registry: vr.tr.whale
  • Wikidata: Q1865281 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1865281)

Direct properties required Filled

  • blue whale length: up to about 30 m
  • IWC commercial whaling moratorium: 1986 year - effective season
  • Japan left the IWC: 2019 year - resumed commercial whaling in its waters

Recognition required Filled

  • Cetaceans are aquatic mammals whose size and appearance vary across species.
  • Baleen whales include the blue whale, while toothed whales include sperm whales, dolphins and porpoises.
  • Dolphins and porpoises are included in this sense of whale, while whale sharks are fish.
  • Streamlined marine mammals with flukes, blowholes and in baleen whales plates instead of teeth.

Capabilities and actions required Filled

  • explain biology and diversity
  • relay conservation and whaling debates
  • describe named groups
  • route strandings to rescue authorities

Hazards and failure modes required Filled

  • Approaching stranded or entangled whales
  • Partisan framing of whaling disputes
  • Confusing whales and whale sharks

Standards and interfaces required Filled

  • International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling
  • CITES Appendix I listings
  • Marine mammal protection laws such as the US MMPA

Context of use required Filled

  • Not applicable; a group of marine mammals.
  • baleen whales such as blue and humpback whales
  • sperm whales
  • beaked whales
  • killer whales and pilot whales as large dolphins
  • river and coastal cetaceans as relatives

Sources Filled

  1. Wikidata item Q1865281: whale - identity and sense of the item
  2. Wikipedia: Whale - general description of the item

Open questions

  • Should Odontoceti be a separate primary entry?
  • How should IWC and marine science sources be linked?
  • How should the informal whale category be recorded against Cetacea?

Machine files

Card as JSON Specification Card backlog vercy.card/1

Provenance

thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed

Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1865281/spec.json