Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space
Abstract The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis , numbers approximately 336 individuals, and continues to decline. Current development and implementation of protection measures and monitoring of right whale presence relies on visual surveys from v...
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/mms.12971 |
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crwiley:10.1111/mms.12971 2024-10-13T14:07:00+00:00 Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space Hodul, Matus Knudby, Anders McKenna, Brigid James, Amy Mayo, Charles Brown, Moira Durette‐Morin, Delphine Bird, Stephen Canadian Space Agency 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/mms.12971 en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Marine Mammal Science volume 39, issue 1, page 220-231 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 journal-article 2022 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12971 2024-09-19T04:17:53Z Abstract The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis , numbers approximately 336 individuals, and continues to decline. Current development and implementation of protection measures and monitoring of right whale presence relies on visual surveys from vessel and aerial platforms, and passive acoustic monitoring, which contribute to location data. Here we demonstrate that satellite imagery can be used to detect and confirm the North Atlantic right whales at a species level using newly available imaging methods, providing another tool to inform conservation efforts. Using optical satellite imagery with 15 cm resolution, 25 right whales were observed in Cape Cod Bay on April 24, 2021. Species confirmation was possible due to clearly visible callosity patterns indicative of their species within this range. Although the variations in callosity patterns commonly used to identify individuals were too small to be resolved at this image resolution, one whale with large distinctive markings visible on his body was identified at an individual level from satellite imagery alone. Although visual and acoustic survey methods can be combined for monitoring this species in critical habitats, satellite‐based monitoring can be especially helpful to understand whale presence outside the areas monitored with existing visual and acoustic detection methods. Article in Journal/Newspaper Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale Wiley Online Library Marine Mammal Science |
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English |
description |
Abstract The population of the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis , numbers approximately 336 individuals, and continues to decline. Current development and implementation of protection measures and monitoring of right whale presence relies on visual surveys from vessel and aerial platforms, and passive acoustic monitoring, which contribute to location data. Here we demonstrate that satellite imagery can be used to detect and confirm the North Atlantic right whales at a species level using newly available imaging methods, providing another tool to inform conservation efforts. Using optical satellite imagery with 15 cm resolution, 25 right whales were observed in Cape Cod Bay on April 24, 2021. Species confirmation was possible due to clearly visible callosity patterns indicative of their species within this range. Although the variations in callosity patterns commonly used to identify individuals were too small to be resolved at this image resolution, one whale with large distinctive markings visible on his body was identified at an individual level from satellite imagery alone. Although visual and acoustic survey methods can be combined for monitoring this species in critical habitats, satellite‐based monitoring can be especially helpful to understand whale presence outside the areas monitored with existing visual and acoustic detection methods. |
author2 |
Canadian Space Agency |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Hodul, Matus Knudby, Anders McKenna, Brigid James, Amy Mayo, Charles Brown, Moira Durette‐Morin, Delphine Bird, Stephen |
spellingShingle |
Hodul, Matus Knudby, Anders McKenna, Brigid James, Amy Mayo, Charles Brown, Moira Durette‐Morin, Delphine Bird, Stephen Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
author_facet |
Hodul, Matus Knudby, Anders McKenna, Brigid James, Amy Mayo, Charles Brown, Moira Durette‐Morin, Delphine Bird, Stephen |
author_sort |
Hodul, Matus |
title |
Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
title_short |
Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
title_full |
Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
title_fullStr |
Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
title_full_unstemmed |
Individual North Atlantic right whales identified from space |
title_sort |
individual north atlantic right whales identified from space |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/mms.12971 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full-xml/10.1111/mms.12971 |
genre |
Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale |
genre_facet |
Eubalaena glacialis North Atlantic North Atlantic right whale |
op_source |
Marine Mammal Science volume 39, issue 1, page 220-231 ISSN 0824-0469 1748-7692 |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.12971 |
container_title |
Marine Mammal Science |
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1812813270454632448 |