Editor’s Note: Special thanks to science educator Michael Windelspecht for the news tip. Drones have improved the study and sustainability of whales by leaps and bounds over the past few years. From efforts to curb whale hunting, to researching the sea mammals’ snot (there’s a good reason for that), to helping preserve threatened species like the sperm whale. A new … [Read more...] about All’s Whale That Measures Well: Drones Help Researcher Measure Marine Mammals
Whales
Ocean Alliance SnotBot and EarBot Drones Featured on BBC’s Blue Planet Live
The BBC's Blue Planet series, usually accompanied by the smooth tones of David Attenborough, remains one of the broadcaster's most popular exports and has been inspiring conservation and awareness of the natural world for years. So it's fitting that this year's series - a special week of live programs celebrating marine life around the globe to exploring the health of our … [Read more...] about Ocean Alliance SnotBot and EarBot Drones Featured on BBC’s Blue Planet Live
Study: Drones and Thermal Cameras Can Protect Endangered Marine Wildlife
Findings from a study conducted in New Zealand and the UK suggests that drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras could be used to locate and protect endangered Maui and Hector’s dolphins in New Zealand. The application could also be used for conservation measures for other marine mammal species around the world. The successful study proved that aerial thermal detection … [Read more...] about Study: Drones and Thermal Cameras Can Protect Endangered Marine Wildlife
Drones Continue to Make an Impact in Marine Conservation
We've written on several occasions about how drone technology is being used for marine research and conservation, particularly with efforts involving our oceans' largest inhabitants: whales. You can read about Ocean Alliance's work to capture whale data using SnotBot, here. You can read about Intel and Ocean Alliance using drones and machine learning to identify whales … [Read more...] about Drones Continue to Make an Impact in Marine Conservation
Watch: Using a FLIR Thermal Camera to Track Whales
Our friends at Ocean Alliance have been using drones to collect samples from whales, identify them in the wild and track their movements from above. Over the summer they were in Alaska and, with the help of Intel's algorithms, were able to spot different species in the water despite poor visibility. The Ocean Alliance team also got a chance to test out some new equipment, which … [Read more...] about Watch: Using a FLIR Thermal Camera to Track Whales
