Photogrammetry with an unmanned aerial system to assess body condition and growth of Blainville s beaked whales
Abstract
We propose to use aerial photogrammetry to directly measure the body condition and growth of Md; specifically demonstrating the utility of the NOAA APH-22 marine hexacopter as an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) for obtaining vertical images of whale lengths and width profiles. This small, battery-powered platform is quiet, cost-effective and safe to operate from small boats, and can hover over animal groups. The offerors have recently used this tool in a very successful study to assess lengths and widths of killer whales in Canada, measuring 82 individual whales to assess body condition and growth trends. As in this recent study, we will launch the hexacopter from a boat platform to fly short missions over beaked whales when they are sighted close-by at the surface, obtaining high resolution digital images from a height of ~30m. We will further validate this system during a field trial in summer 2016 south of Abaco Island, northern Bahamas, where a photo-identification study over 17 years has demonstrated high site-fidelity of Md. Aerial images will be matched to photo-identifications to link measurements to whales with known histories, to obtain metrics for key age/sex classes: 1) Width profiles for adult females, specifically comparing those with (lactating) and without dependent young, to validate the ability to assess differences in body condition and detect pregnancy. 2) Lengths for dependent young of different ages, to validate the ability to measure growth. We anticipate this study will demonstrate the utility of photogrammetry using UAS for monitoring the body condition and growth of whales, to facilitate an understanding of the effect of disturbance to individual health. This has direct relevance for future monitoring and understanding population-level effects of disturbance in navy operation areas (specifically Md at AUTEC, but also other species on other ranges). The data collected in this study will also provide baseline data from a control population that is not regularly displaced by sonar.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 08, 2016
- Source ID
- N000141512748
Entities
People
- Diane Claridge
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy