For the first time, scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) used an unmanned aerial vehicle to capture footage of orca whales off the coast of British Columbia. Using a drone-style vehicle allows scientists to gather unprecedented data on the whales, who are typically very sensitive to environmental intrusions. More than just fun and games, the drone’s footage is serving a vital function – it allows researchers to monitor the population health of aquatic species. In this case, scientists are using the images to determine whether or not the wales are getting enough food. The killer whales in the region typically survive on salmon, and scientists say the salmon are much smaller now than they used to be. Aerial photography is an easy way to see if the whales are looking too thin, or healthy. Previous attempts at aerial photography via manned helicopter proved unfeasible. The copter had to be flown too high for photography so as to not disturb the whales, and was very expensive. More at the link: dailydigestnews/2014/10/drone-captures-first-ever-aerial-footage-of-killer-whales-video/ Video below.
Posted on: Mon, 20 Oct 2014 17:29:39 +0000