RPA flight log data for 141 flights undertaken during the Investigator ENRICH voyage 2019

• Other Authors: AADC (owner), AADC, DATA OFFICER (distributor), AADC, DATA OFFICER (custodian), AU/AADC > Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia (hasAssociationWith), Andrews-Goff, V., Double, M. and Smith, J. (originator), Australian Antarctic Data Centre (publisher), Australian Antarctic Division (sponsor)
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Australian Ocean Data Network
• Subjects: oceans; biota; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/VERTEBRATES > MAMMALS > CETACEANS; CETACEANS > BALEEN WHALES; ANTARCTIC BLUE WHALE; RV INVESTIGATOR; PHOTOGRAMMETRY; CAMERAS; UAV > Unmanned Aerial Vehicle; Ships; AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS > AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS; AMD/AU; AMD; CEOS; OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN; GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctic Krill; Antarctica; baleen whales; Blue whale; East Antarctica; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://researchdata.edu.au/rpa-flight-log-voyage-2019/2975293

Progress Code: completed Statement: There are no known problems with the dataset. Purpose This data set was used to discuss and characterise the operating envelope of successful multirotor RPA use in maritime East Antarctica, highlighting the limitations, challenges and opportunities that RPA technology presents for future cetacean research. In March 2017, a multi-disciplinary marine science voyage (the ENRICH Voyage - Euphausiids and Nutrient Recycling In Cetacean Hotspots) was conducted off East Antarctica, from 64°S to 67°S and between 138°E and 154°W. During the voyage, multirotor RPA flights were conducted for cetacean photogrammetry, photo-identification and blow sampling in order to contribute to the overarching aim of the voyage - to describe the characteristics of Antarctic krill swarms and determine whether these characteristics predict the distribution and behaviour of Antarctic predators, particularly Antarctic blue whales, and how these predators interact with krill in time and space. This data set was used to describe the multirotor RPA activities during the ENRICH voyage, characterising the operating envelope of successful multirotor RPA use in maritime East Antarctica. RPAs were hand launched from deck 2 (15 m above the water line) of the RV Investigator on days where whales were sighted within a suitable distance (~less than 1500m) of the vessel, mean wind speeds were less than 15 knots and with permission from the Bridge Officer and the Chief Scientist. 141 multirotor RPA flights were undertaken between the 25th January 2019 and the 25th February 2019 on a DJI Inspire 2 (n=121), DJI Phantom 4 (n=15) and DJI Phantom 4 Pro V1/V2 (n= 5) for the purposes of whale photogrammetry, whale blow sampling, whale photo identification, surface water sampling for trace metal analysis, visual survey of whale behaviour and scenic imagery collection. To characterise the operating envelope of successful RPA use in maritime East Antarctica, we compared RPA flight metrics (successful flight event, battery ...