SnotBot goes Tagging
Over the past 20 years, data tags have transformed scientists’ understanding of whales. Until tags were developed, scientists had a limited understanding of a hugely important part of whales’ lives: what they do underwater.
Data tags are small tags that attach to whales via non-invasive suction cups and carry a range of sensors, cameras, hydrophones, and accelerometers. They can provide a broad scope of data, including information on feeding ecology, bio-kinetics, acoustic output and function, and social communication.
However, deploying tags is difficult, invasive, and dangerous (for humans and whales). Despite this, they are recognized as one of the most essential whale science and conservation tools.
In 2022, Ocean Alliance demonstrated that we can deploy tags more effectively, safely, and non-invasively using drones. Our method represents a huge step forward for tagging. Since the program began, we have deployed over 100 tags on six whale species. This work uses a tool that revolutionized humanity’s understanding of whales and improved it considerably. We published a paper in the Royal Society Open Science Journal, which can be found here
This work makes tagging more feasible for more researchers and more whales worldwide. This work meets four essential needs:
- It will allow researchers who previously have not used tags to use tags. Because tags have traditionally been challenging to deploy, many groups have been dissuaded from using them.
- It will allow researchers already using tags to deploy more and collect more data. This is because our method is more efficient and effective than the conventional method.
- It will allow researchers studying endangered species to deploy tags. Our method is considerably less invasive and not harmful than the conventional method and, thus, is a far better option for endangered species.
- Some species and individuals can be almost impossible to tag using the conventional method. Our drone is much faster, more responsive, and less invasive than a vessel. Our approach will allow researchers to deploy tags on hard-to-study species.
This directly impacts our ability to mitigate climate change. Healthy whale populations help to mitigate climate change through their out-sized role in the carbon cycle (see International Monetary Fund report, ‘Whales: Nature’s Solution to Climate Change.’
The more we understand about whales: about their behavior, their role in their environment, and how they are responding to the various threats that currently face them, the better able we are to protect them – and by doing so, help support healthy whale populations to mitigate climate change.