With an increase in emerging technologies adapted to use at sea, the study of aquatic life has become more accessible. ROVs and underwater cameras have dominated marine conservation research. These technologies have been used to ID sea turtles and find ghost fishing gear underwater. Photos and videos have also captured charismatic underwater life (like the sheepshead taking a selfie!) and been used to monitor behavior. As technology continues to advance, we’re seeing this year’s challenge highlight new adaptations to using tech for marine conservation.
2024
#BELAS ‼️
— Kenn Papadopoulo (@KennPapadopoulo) August 8, 2024
Cruising through the week like an Undulate skate (Raja undulata) checking out what is new in the neighborhood 👀🦈🦈#Tech4Wildlife #BRUVS 🦈🐟🦞🪸 pic.twitter.com/idL3gDqO8b
In the project #ECOSUMA we @IIM_CSIC tracked a local population of common #octopus using #acoustictelemetry techniques to understand its movement and behaviour ecology inside National Park waters in NW Spain#Tech4Wildlife @WILDLABSNET pic.twitter.com/Z4hkmrkuaY
— O Fanequeiro (@Fanequeiro) August 8, 2024
Own reflection. #Tech4Wildlife Installing a #HydroMoth @OpenAcoustics for our project "Underwater Passive Acoustic Monitoring (UPAM) for threatened Andean water frogs" as part of @WILDLABSNET 2024 Awards 👇 pic.twitter.com/hCNRuwgKTO
— CANOA Anfibios (@CanoaAnfibios) August 8, 2024
In La Réunion, Lucie Laporte-Devylder is leading groundbreaking marine mammal research using drones with infrared + RGB cameras. Capturing thermal tracks of humpback whales, she aims at improving our abilities to monitor and protect marine ecosystems #Tech4Wildlife @WILDLABSNET pic.twitter.com/biVDstYxVw
— WildDrone (@WildDrone_EU) August 8, 2024
35 likes, 2 comments - wilddrone.eu on August 8, 2024: "Fieldwork Report From La Réunion In the stunning waters of Réunion Island, amidst the annual humpback whale migration, Lucie Laporte-Devylder (DC4) is currently leading groundbreaking marine mammal research🐋 Lucie is using drones equipped with infrared and RGB cameras for non-invasive monitoring. During peak whale season, she conducts aerial surveys, capturing high-resolution imagery to detect thermal tracks and study whale movements. Her thermal imaging work reveals fluke prints and swimming dynamics, providing clues about species, group size, age, and behavior. With a wealth of footage collected, Lucie is now analyzing environmental variables to refine tracking methods, moving away from on-animal tagging techniques. She envisions integrating machine learning for automatic image recognition, redefining how we monitor and protect marine ecosystems🌍 #WildDroneEU #MarineResearch #DroneTechnology #Conservation #HumpbackWhales #LaRéunion #WildlifeResearch #tech4wildlife @wildlabsnet".
124 likes, 2 comments - maralliance on August 7, 2024: "🌊📹 Revolutionizing Deep Sea Exploration with BRUV Technology Deep sea exploration, a frontier yet to be fully explored, is advancing thanks to innovative technologies like deep baited remote underwater video (BRUV) landers. These easily deployable devices allow researchers to conduct detailed surveys of deep sea ecosystems, revealing new insights into biodiversity and ecological dynamics. Initially built with PVC pipes, our shallow water BRUVs faced frequent breakages, prompting a shift to metal frames in 2015. However, these bulky and heavy units were impractical for deep-sea research, which requires manual deployment to depths over 300 meters. Our Technology Development Associate, Sam Owen, rose to the challenge of creating a more efficient, specialized deep sea BRUV. He developed a streamlined, lightweight, and collapsible unit, which was first tested in Belize and then replicated with improvements in Honduras. New innovations include the addition of a hydrophone to the frame, and an adjustable configuration which allows for deployment as either a lander or drifter. The new design has significantly improved ease of deployment and retrieval, making deep sea research more accessible and efficient. As we venture into the deep sea realm of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, each deployment brings the excitement of new discoveries, pushing the boundaries of marine science and conservation. 📷 Rachel Graham/MarAlliance @wildlabsnet #Tech4Wildlife #MarineConservation #OceanProtection #MarineResearch #OceanExploration #ConservationEfforts #DeepSeaExploration #MarineResearch #InnovationInConservation #BRUV".
Using acoustic telemetry to monitor the movements of the cryptic platypus. #hardworkbutworthit #Tech4Wildlife #conservationtech pic.twitter.com/zDPfGGBRnO
— Platypus Conservation Initiative (@Platypus_CI) August 7, 2024
Our #Tech4Wildlife project in BC uses a combination of high-definition video, acoustic imaging sonar, and acoustic recorder from a deep-sea cabled video-observatory to unravel the resting and foraging strategies at depth of sub-adult northern elephant seals 🦭🐟💤 @WILDLABSNET pic.twitter.com/FecZKH6kFW
— Dr. Heloise Frouin-Mouy (@FrouinMouy) August 7, 2024
Today, for @WILDLABSNET ´s #Tech4Wildlife Photo Callenge, we wanted to showcase some of the stunning images and videos capturing the wildlife of Galapagos by our drones ,for our conservation work. As always, if you´d like to know more about our work, go to https://t.co/nlW5J38IWb pic.twitter.com/Hvgq6v213X
— Iguanas from Above (@IguanasAbove) August 6, 2024
287 likes, 5 comments - maralliance on August 5, 2024: "Why Monitoring Matters: A Crucial Step for Male Sea Turtle Conservation Did you know that most of our knowledge about sea turtles comes from studying females? This is because females return to land to nest, allowing researchers to observe, tag, and collect data. In contrast, males remain at sea for life, making them much harder to locate and study. Our research is focused on: 🌍 Spatial Ecology of Males: Rising sand temperatures due to climate change are leading to more female hatchlings, as the sex of sea turtles is determined by sand temperature. This shift in sex ratios could severely impact reproduction and long-term species survival. 🧭 Migration Mysteries: While female sea turtles are known for long-distance migrations, the movement patterns of males are still largely unknown. Do they migrate as far or as often as females? Understanding these behaviors is key to developing effective conservation strategies. How are we studying them? 📡 Satellite Tags: These tools are essential for tracking, providing detailed data on male sea turtle behavior and ecology. 📊 New Insights: After two years of tracking male loggerhead turtles in the MesoAmerican region, we are uncovering new movement patterns. These findings are critical for the conservation and management of sea turtle populations. 🌐 Curious about the sea turtles we tag? Check out our tracking page on the MarAlliance website for open access to real-time data and movements of tagged sea turtles. @wildlabsnet #Tech4Wildlife #SeaTurtles #MarineConservation #ClimateChange #OceanResearch #WildlifeConservation #MaleSeaTurtles #LoggerheadTurtles #SaveOurOceans #MarAlliance #MesoAmericanReef #Biodiversity #Ecology #EndangeredSpecies #MarineBiology #OceanLife #ProtectOurPlanet".
2023
Shark Scientist Kat Mason was flying the drone over a blacktip pupping ground, when she noticed something odd about one individual. She quickly realised that the ‘extra mass’ was in fact a fishing line attached to the shark by a hook. #Tech4wildlife https://t.co/Xbyg23nKhp #ARRI pic.twitter.com/6ZVoeEOWMu
— Sol Milne, PhD (@solomilne) July 27, 2023
2021
Our #underwater #camera system is so attractive that even this adult male #California Sheephead #fish in the #SanDiego #kelpforests couldn't resist taking a quick selfie with it!#KelpForestFridays #Tech4Wildlife #FishyFridays #OceanDecade #MarineLife pic.twitter.com/e5XysEO7v2
— Dr. Camille P (@FishySounds) February 27, 2021
Our team uses a pair of #hydrophones to study coastal dolphins in #Malaysia. This #tech4wildlife allows us to record and understand the dolphins' underwater acoustic behaviour in different group behaviours, environmental parameters and in the presence of boats! @WILDLABSNET pic.twitter.com/JtLaVuzLEG
— MareCet Research and Conservation (@marecet) February 26, 2021
2020
What do #Antarctic #TopPredators eat? Filming #underwater #video as #KillerWhales show me their prey. See https://t.co/16egnMtySJ
— Regina Eisert (@TPAonIce) March 2, 2020
Minimal 'technology', but it works thanks to interspecies cooperation 🤣 #Tech4Wildlife 🐳 @pewenvironment @marinebrit @MPI_NZ @docgovtnz @Geo_SDNZ 🇦🇶 pic.twitter.com/372JrYWOjl
Most recent #Tech4Wildlife has been using a #TridentROV & #quadcopter to find #ghostgear & #marinemegafauna on a fantastic project in Myanmar! Working with @GGGInitiative, @ThandaKoGyi & @UoABioSci. First time using the ROV as part of @Sofarocean's #SEEInitiative! @WILDLABSNET pic.twitter.com/0hKWUXUT7h
— Sol Milne, PhD (@solomilne) February 27, 2020
11 (2.7%!) of the roughly 409 North Atlantic #RightWhales (not inc. recent calves) in a SAG (Surface Active Group) during @DFO_MAR's Aug 2019 fieldwork. Taken by photogrammetry drone in the Gulf of St Lawrence. Also note the orange poop in the corner! #NARW #Tech4Wildlife #Whales pic.twitter.com/HHBN0C9yJP
— Andrew Wright (@marinebrit) February 28, 2020
2019
#Tech4Wildlife captured this portrait of an #Antarctic #TypeCKillerWhale surfacing through a hole in the #seaice. Shot with our #WhalfieStick by Dr Ben Sharp from @MPI_NZ@WILDLABSNET@UCNZ@AntarcticaNZ@PewEnvironment
— Regina Eisert (@TPAonIce) March 2, 2019
@unenvironment#Antarctica#RossSea#RossSearegionMPA pic.twitter.com/RmCYm9Rhvx
2018
#Tech4Wildlife @WILDLABSNET Being close to the spermwhales them allows to make the first interviews of these giants : François SARANO, oceanograph, undertakes acoustic and behavior studies with @Longitude181 & @univtoulon (DYNI) for several years. (c) Veronique SARANO. pic.twitter.com/48bFY9vS29
— Longitude181 (@Longitude181) February 28, 2018
After a 14 day commute, we’re finally getting to work in Andvord Bay. We’ve got a #Tech4Wildlife trifecta going - drones, tags, & hydrophones - oh my! pic.twitter.com/deTHVj0Nrm
— Duke Marine Lab UAS (@MarineUAS) February 27, 2018
Penguin poop + NIR drone imagery are just some of the tools @DukeU undergrad @clarabirdferrer uses to get Adelie penguin population estimates. #Tech4Wildlife pic.twitter.com/upKtKc0sIx
— Duke Marine Lab UAS (@MarineUAS) March 2, 2018
2016
ZSL InstantDetect cameras monitoring penguins in Antarctica:https://t.co/XUKOVEbiN6 @penguinlifeline #Tech4Wildlife pic.twitter.com/cnL2Vgi0lH
— ZSL (@OfficialZSL) March 3, 2016
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