Premium
Responses of bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops spp.) to small drones
Author(s) -
Giles Anna B.,
Butcher Paul A.,
Colefax Andrew P.,
Pagendam Dan E.,
Mayjor Maddison,
Kelaher Brendan P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
aquatic conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.95
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1099-0755
pISSN - 1052-7613
DOI - 10.1002/aqc.3440
Subject(s) - drone , bottlenose dolphin , wildlife , fishery , ecology , geography , cetacea , biology , genetics
Abstract Recent advances in aerial drones offer new insights into the biology, ecology and behaviour of marine wildlife found on or near the ocean’s surface. While opening up new opportunities for enhanced wildlife monitoring, the impacts of drone sampling and how it might influence interpretations of animal behaviour are only just beginning to be understood. The capacity of drones to record bottlenose dolphin ( Tursiops spp.) behaviour was investigated, along with how the presence of a small drone at varying altitudes influences dolphin behaviour. Over 3 years and eight locations, 361 drone flights were completed between altitudes of 5 and 60 m above the ocean. Analyses showed that dolphins were increasingly likely to change behaviour with decreasing drone altitude. A positive correlation was also found between time spent hovering above a group of dolphins and the probability of recording a behavioural response. Dolphin group size also influenced the frequency of an observed behavioural change, displaying a positive correlation between behaviour change and group size. Overall, although drones have the potential to impact coastal dolphins when flown at low altitudes, they represent a useful tool for collecting ecological information on coastal dolphins owing to their convenience, low cost and capacity to observe behaviours underwater. To maximize benefits and minimize impacts, this study suggests that drones should be flown 30 m above coastal bottlenose dolphins.