SMAST Seminar - DFO - "Aerial photogrammetry to assess whale health: linking individual observations to population status" by: John Durban
Department of Fisheries Oceanography
"Aerial photogrammetry to assess whale health: linking individual observations to population status"
Dr. John Durban, Senior Scientist
New England Aquarium Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life
Wednesday, November 12, 2025
3pm-4pm
SMAST E 101-103 and via Zoom
Abstract:
Dr. John Durban has pioneered the use of drones for assessing the health of whales. In this talk he will give examples from his research on how measurements from drone photographs (termed “photogrammetry”) can provide quantitative, objective and non-invasive data on the health of individual cetaceans and the status of their populations. Examples will include linking the body condition of endangered Southern Resident killer whales to their subsequent survival, documenting decreasing adult sizes of North Atlantic right whales and the impact on reproductive success, and understanding how changes in survival, reproduction and growth of killer whales in the Gulf of Alaska resulted in both acute and prolonged impacts from an intense marine heatwave. John will describe how drone photogrammetry can serve as an early warning system by identifying vulnerable individuals or concerning population condition, offering the potential to trigger management actions before poor health results in mortality or reproductive impairment.
Join Meeting
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93758230260
Note: Meeting ID and password required - email contact for more information.
SMAST East 101-103
: 836 S. Rodney French Boulevard, New Bedford MA 02744
Callie Rumbut
c.rumbut@umassd.edu
https://umassd.zoom.us/j/93758230260