Ukrainian polar researchers have shown a unique way of measuring whales from a drone
Kyiv • UNN
Scientists at the "Akademik Vernadsky" station demonstrated a method for measuring the size of whales using a drone and a one-meter ruler. Biologists shared a video of the process on Facebook.
Ukrainian polar researchers working at the "Akademik Vernadsky" station have shown how they measure whales in the ocean. The relevant video was published on Facebook by the specialists, reports UNN.
Details
According to biologists, measuring the size of these giant animals is not at all difficult - all you need is a drone and a one-meter ruler. Yes, biologists use a piece of white pipe with markings so that it is clearly visible from the air.
"We place the ruler on the water next to the boat, and raise the drone to a height of 30 meters. Then, with the camera pointed vertically down, we take a photo of the ruler and the whale," said Svitozar Davydenko, a biologist of the 29th UAE.
Researchers say that a ruler placed on the water is one of the reliable methods of image calibration, because of all the objects in the frame, it will have the least distortion.
If more precise calculations are needed, we use an additional laser rangefinder attached to the drone that records the distance to the object with an accuracy of 1 mm every second, as well as specialized software
It is noted that the critical parameters for measurements are the distance to the whale and the focal length of the optical system used to obtain the image. Having these and a number of other data about the file itself, you can measure the size of objects in the photo using a special program.
Now, Ukrainian scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the University of California, are conducting studies on humpback whales, for which they have collected "double" data: they have measured the animals and taken samples of their skin and fat.
"Such a study will allow us to assess the condition indicators and certain physiological parameters of individual whales according to their sex, belonging to a particular age group, or the presence of pregnancy in females," the report says.
Reminder
On Galindez Island, a rare case has been discovered - a family of sub-Antarctic penguins with three chicks. Among the 6,000 penguins near the "Vernadsky" station, this is the only such family.
