Gray and Humpback whale feeding grounds changing with the climate

Scientist Michelle Kinzel and Roberto Venegas from Oregon State University's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Science hypothesize global climate change is altering food webs. Kinzel and Venegas are monitoring the number and distribution of gray and humpback whales from Baja California to British Columbia. They are using GIS to identify feeding grounds along with descriptive information about sites the whales frequent.
 
Satellite imagery from the Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-view sensors (SeaWiFS) helps researchers to identify the location of chlorophyll and other plant pigments in the water. The intensity of green color in the ocean is a direct measurement of the amount of phytoplankton (whale food). Using this data, Kinzel and Venegas are able to study the correlation between the concentration of chlorophyll and whale distribution. Scientists track individual whales visually by their distinct markings. They have found that whale home ranges have expanded as they search for more food. Due to limited data points, they are unable to make a decisive correlation between chlorophyll and whale distributions. Read more about this study here http://www.esri.com/news/arcnews/spring08articles/grey-whales.html
 
While reading any study about monitoring changes in the environment, I immediately think of the participatory potential! If scientist identify the whales by markings, could we ask coastal high schools, fishermen, and other interested parties to document when and where they see Humpback Jorge pass by their local beach front? You know Jorge, with the two dots and the stripe on his back. This could increase data points and strengthen Kinzel and Venegas's study. There is always the argument of "can non-scientists identify whale markings?" But that is a different can of phytoplankton.