Send in the Drones

Drones are becoming a “go-to” tool for conservationists.  Cheaper and much more flexible than fixed wing aircraft or helicopters, drones are being used to counter poachers and for field observation.

Thanks to drones, researchers are helping the southern right whale make a comeback while keeping an eye on the effects of climate change.  Researchers from Murdoch University, supported by WWF Australia, are monitoring the whales as they breed in the Great Australian Bight in the country's south.

Fredrik Christiansen, a researcher at Murdoch University, told Mashable southern right whale populations are recovering, albeit slowly. In Australia, they are thought to number only around 3,500.

When the whales visit Australia, they typically breed and aggregate along the south coast of the country from late May to late October. That gives scientists the opportunity to use drones to monitor their health.

Ultimately, the team hope to discover how climate change will affect the whales. For example, how krill production in their Antarctic feeding ground — the abundance of which will likely be impacted by the rise in sea temperature and receding sea ice — will affect their condition once they arrive in Australia.