Unmanned Aerial Systems for Research and Education on Marine Mammal Multiple Stressors, Comparative Microbiomes, Body Condition, Energetics and Thermal Detection
Abstract
Marine mammals are exposed to multiple stressors, including human-made underwater sound, chemical pollution and traumatic interaction with fisheries and passing ships and smaller vessels. Despite progress towards predicting the effect of single stressors on individual marine mammals and populations, existing scientific theory and data cannot predict the cumulative effect of multiple stressors. One particular concern of environmental assessments is the danger of synergistic interactions, where a stressor that has only a mild effect on its own has a strong effect when other stressors are present. However, the critical issue is estimating when the combination of stressors exerts an adverse impact, whether synergistic or not. Additionally, capacity to better understand how marine mammal health and disease are related to the dynamics of microbiomes, body condition, and energy balance are all critical to a broad understanding of how marine mammals respond to known and unknown stressors. This is relevant to the Department of Defense because it submits environmental impact assessments for the potential impact of its activities, particularly use of Navy sonar, and vessel collision risk, for marine mammal populations that are exposed to a wide range of other stressors. The overall goal of this project is to advance understanding of the cumulative effects of multiple stressors on marine mammals. One funded objective is to: develop quantitative methods to predict behavioral or physiological responses to two or more stressors; apply these approaches in case studies; usethe results to help construct a Population Consequences of Multiple Stressors (PCoMS) model for each case study; develop and/or evaluate new technologies to assess adverse health and ecosystem-level effects; and promote information exchange by interacting with researchers and managers working on cumulative effects. Here we propose acquisition of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), to support two of the funded Case Studies # aerial follows of dolphins exposed to vessel approaches, and photogrammetry and blow sampling of North Atlantic right whales. In addition, the UAS will facilitate planned studies involving microbiome, body condition, energetics and detection of marine mammals. These projects will have a strong educational component involving students in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/ Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program in Oceanography (WHOI), and WHOI Summer Student Fellow NSF REU, andGuest Student programs.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jun 29, 2023
- Source ID
- N000142312502
Entities
People
- Michael J Moore
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution