Tuesday, October 29, 2024 - noon to 12:50 p.m.
Online
Speaker:
Dr. Susan Parks
Professor in Department of Biology, Syracuse University
Full Title:
Uncrewed Aerial Systems Aid to Advance Field Studies of Endangered Large Whale Acoustics
Abstract:
Despite over 50 years of study, many unknowns remain regarding the acoustic repertoires and behavioral context of signal production of large baleen whales. One approach to address this is to use suction cup attached acoustic recording tags to determine sound production by individual whales simultaneously with logging of their subsurface behaviors. These acoustic tags have been used for over two decades to study the acoustic behavior of large baleen whales. The primary method for deployment of these tags has been the use of long, handheld poles to attach tags on the back of whales from small vessels.
This method is challenging, and limits tag attachment to individual whales that are approachable with a small vessel, potentially biasing data collection to specific demographics or behavioral states. One solution to this comes in the form of a new system to use uncrewed aerial systems (UAS or ‘drones’) to hover over an individual whale to drop the tag onto the whale’s back, effectively decoupling the proximity of the research vessel from the tag attachment process.
In this seminar, I will discuss the development and application of this system in collaboration with researchers from Ocean Alliance, University of Michigan and the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary to attach acoustic tags to three endangered baleen whale species in the North Atlantic.
Schedule:Center for Acoustics Research and Education (CARE) at the University of New Hampshire is pleased to announce this talk as part of our Fall Seminar Series.
