Satellite images reveal 4 gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio (leading left); a fin whale in the Pelagos Sanctuary (leading right); 2 humpback whales in Hawaii (bottom left); and a southern right whale off the coast of Argentina (bottom right).
Marine Mammal Science.
Why go whale enjoying on the high seas when you can see the mammals from area?
Scientists from the University of Cambridge and British Antarctic Study utilized in-depth, high-resolution satellite images offered by Maxar Technologies‘ DigitalGlobe to spot and keep an eye on various types of whales.
Their research study, simply released in the journal Marine Mammal Science journal, recommends an economical technique for studying whales in unattainable, hard-to-reach locations where standard tracking is minimal or unwise. The method might assist other marine biologists keep tabs on whale population modifications and much better comprehend their migratory habits.
Utilizing really high resolution (VHR) satellite images, scientists discovered and explained 4 various mysticete (big whale) types: fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) in the Pelagos Sanctuary in the Mediterranean; gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) on the coast of Mexico; humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) near Hawaii; and southern best whales (Eubalaena australis) in Argentina.
Scientists had the ability to rapidly determine both fin and gray whales (instead of humpback whales and southern best whales) from their distinct body pigmentation, which contrasts with the ocean water.
Remarkably, the research study exposes that some whale types are a lot easier to determine through satellite than standard approaches.
” This is the most in-depth images of whales caught by satellites to date,” lead research study author Hannah Cubaynes, a whale ecologist from University of Cambridge, stated in a British Antarctic Study interview Thursday. “It’s amazing that the enhanced resolution … exposes particular functions, such as flippers and flukes, which can be seen in the images for the very first time.”
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