University of Canterbury researchers say drones could be a breakthrough solution in the long-standing conundrum of how to measure whale health.
An international team of scientists, led by the University's Associate Professor Travis Horton, have published results from a study on measuring marine mammal health through non-invasive techniques.
Using infared cameras on top of quad-copter drones, Dr Horton said they were able to measure the temperature, respiration rate and heart rate of a free-swimming great whale in Rarotonga, during the 2018 humpback whale calving season.
