ROLEX’s Post

THE GOLDEN INVASION! – Sargassum beaching continues for the 2023 summer season We persist in our sargassum monitoring as we move throughout the 2023 season and so far, sargassum is piling on beaches across the Caribbean. Influxes have intensified since our last report as we have been observing a sharp uptake in sargassum beaching for both Jamaica and Dominican Republic. Fresh sargassum levels are now severe along the southern coastline of Jamaica while the Dominican Republic is experiencing severe influxes on its eastern shores. We look forward to what’s in store for our next report. MGI and our sargassum watchers provide images from Jamaica and Dominican Republic showing sargassum beaching for July. Sargassum spp is a genus of holopelagic brown macroalgae typically found in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Blooms have been increasing in frequency and intensity since 2011. Have you been experiencing sargassum washing up in huge quantities on your shore? Share your images and experiences with us. For more information, visit our website at blue.monagis.com and our social media @mgi.blue @mgimona #sargassum #mgiblue #beach #monagis #uwi #Jamaica #dominicanrepublic #coastalresearch #environment #ecosystems #conservation #drone #uav #jamaicacoastalenvironment #caribbeancoasts #coastalstabilisation #water #innovation

"Scars" follows Karin Hartman, who has devoted her life to studying Risso’s dolphins in the Azores. This documentary features stunning underwater and drone footage that explores unique dolphin behavior, male group dynamics and female nurseries. The film also discusses the impact of whale watching, the need to ban commercial swimming with dolphins, and advocates for the Azores designation as a Marine Protected Area. 🐬🎥 Watch "Scars" and other environmental documentaries on the Eartho TV channel, which can be found on Klowd TV, Freebie TV, Free Movies +, Rewarded TV, and wedotv. 🔗 Link in our bio. #wildlife #dolphins #documentary #whalewatching #whales #marine #marinelife #drone #environment #climate #climatechange

⭐️ Using drones to monitor lemur populations ⭐️ 🐾 Today is World Wildlife Day, with this year’s focus on “Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation.” 🐒 In Madagascar, we’ve been using drones to estimate the population size of Alaotran gentle lemurs. This Critically Endangered species is the only primate to live exclusively over water, hidden in the marshes surrounding Lake Alaotra. 🌿 Monitoring the population was previously carried out by canoes, which could only access a few narrow canals through the reeds. By using drones with thermal infrared cameras, we’re able to survey large areas of otherwise inaccessible marsh and spot the lemurs from their body heat. 🤩 In a single 20 minute flight, the drone can cover a greater area of the marsh than a canoe team could cover in two days! 👇 Learn more about our work with this highly threatened species. https://lnkd.in/dm8ZMHNq #WWD2024 #ConnectingPeopleAndPlanet #DigitalInnovation #TechForWildlife

In our research project #BAMBI (https://www.bambi.eco/) at Fachhochschule Oberösterreich we are using drones to monitor wildlife. While our specific habitat (dense forests) is relatively new to this technology due to challenging occlusions, wildlife monitoring with drones has a rich history, with notable projects e.g. in the African savannah 🦒, the international WildDrone training network (https://wilddrone.eu/) 🦓 and recently in Great Britain 🦌 (DroneWild) - just to name some of them 🙂 In Central European countries like Austria or Germany, one of the most common and impactful uses of drones in the context of wildlife is for fawn rescue 🦌. Their spotted coat, combined with their natural behaviour of crouching down in the tall grass and **not moving at all**, makes the fawns almost invisible to predators. Unfortunately, this strategy of the roe deer is not designed for the farmers with their mowers. This cause remains close to my heart, and I highly recommend watching a recently published and fantastic documentary by German nature photographer  and (marine) biologist Robert Marc Lehmann (Mission Erde e.V.): https://lnkd.in/dXNnW7uP Check the video and get some insights into the work of fawn rescuers, who are doing this job just on a voluntary basis! P.s.: The attached image shows one of the fawns that we discovered during our work on our research project. Lukily, it was on a not cultivated meadow, so no risk due to mowing 🙂 #wildlife #conservation #drone #uav #computervision #fawn #rescue

Photographer Piet van den Bemb captured Antarctic humpback whales tracking #Fibonacci spirals in the water using a drone. 🌀 Extraordinary drone footage from Antarctica shows two humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) creating a web of bubbles, as well as the #Fibonacci sequence. Polar photographer Piet van den #Beemd captured the whales working together. The bubble net feeding technique involves the whales diving under bait and then using the bubbles created by their holes to keep the fish close to the surface. According to the #National #Marine #Sanctuary, these whales are called "swallows," meaning they swim to the surface with their mouths open and swallow anything in their path, including fish caught by the bladder. This is a highly complex behavior involving timing, coordination, communication and teamwork, which highlights that whales are intelligent animals. Previous work has shown that this behavior can be learned, meaning that not all populations of humpback whales feed using this method. When Van Den Beemde's images showed this behavior, the structure of the whale's bubble network corresponded to a perfect #Fibonacci sequence, also known as the golden spiral. In geometry, it is a spiral that increases by a factor φ, known as the golden ratio, with every quarter turn of the spiral. It appears to be common in nature, found in pine cones and many vegetables, but it also puzzles scientists when they look for it in the fossil record. “The perfect shape of the Fibonacci spiral made this event incredible,” van den Beemd told Storyful, adding that it was an “absolutely unforgettable” moment. #whales_spiral_Fibonacci

How to remove #ghostnets ? 🐟   The NaturDive initiative helps to improve the management of lost nets and protect the fragile ecosystems, in collaboration with the artisanal fishermen of the Cannes, Antibes and Iles de Lérins Natura 2000 zone. The project was supported by BeMed throught the 2022 call for micro-initiatives.   🎯 Objective: Remove at least 10 nets. Each net is located and assessed according to #GhostMed methodology before being removed with the help of the fishermen.   🙌 Impact : 14 fishing nets were removed from depths between 15 and 50m. They represent a total length of 1,740 m and 4,000 m² of rehabilitated seabed, mostly coralligenous.   The organisation members tested prospecting using a ROV, an underwater robot remotely controlled from the surface, but this method proved ineffective. However, a new method was tested: diving prospecting using underwater scooters. This enabled the organisation to survey 11 hectares of seabed between June 2022 and June 2023. Combined with the use of underwater GPS, the prospecting methodology implemented during this initiative is now fully operational and effective.   The objectives are largely achieved and the initiative has contributed to a reduction in underwater waste and to the restoration of marine life. 👏   #plasticpollution #ghostnets #fishingindustry #diving    Foundation for Future Generations

What kind of drones are people using for wildlife conservation? The main things to consider when selecting a drone for a wildlife conservation project are the drone's camera resolution and flight time/range. These are essential as the drone will need to capture detailed imagery of the species in question and will potentially need to be deployed over long distances in a remote area, depending on a specific species’ habitat and behavior. Additionally, depending on the project, the drone may need optical or thermal sensors to detect and track the species of interest. Here’s a list of some of the highest-ranked drones for wildlife conservation: → DJI Phantom 4 RTK → Parrot Anafi USA → Autel Robotics EVO II Dual → DJI Mavic II Enterprise → SenseFly eBee X → DJI Matrice 300 RTK → Freefly Alta X → DJI Inspire 2 → Yuneec H520 → Parrot Disco-Pro AG Do you have a favorite drone to use for conservation projects? Leave your favorites in the comments :) Read more about the specs of the models listed above in this article: https://lnkd.in/eRpgscQP #fourhundredfeet #dronesforgood #drones4good #drones #wildlife #conservation #biodiversity Follow me (Kat James) and #fourhundredfeet to learn more about #dronesforgood. This month I'm talking about drones for wildlife conservation.

🌍 Happy GIS Day, everyone! 🚀 GIS isn't just a tool; it's my sidekick in the fascinating realms of 3D space! From navigating the skies with all the aviation company I use to work with from different aspects i.e Mapping, Surveying, Surveillence, scouting, cinematograph, Logistic etc to exploring the depths underwater during scuba adventures thanks to PADI certification GIS has me covered. Who knew mapping could be this adventurous? A huge shoutout to GIS for being my everyday superhero, fueling my mapping missions and serving humanity with Swoop Aero with a side of fun in racing drone. It's not just about lines on a map; it's about the endless possibilities GIS brings to our daily lives. Let's celebrate this mutual relationship we have with GIS! Share your GIS stories and tap like if it's been your trusty companion too. Here's to the mappers, explorers, and GIS enthusiasts! 🥳🔍 #HappyGISDay #MappingAdventures #GISMagic"

Harnessing the boundless possibilities of #technology, the Wildlife Drone serves as a tireless guardian of the natural world. Equipped with #cutting-edge features such as high-resolution cameras, advanced sensors, and real-time #data processing capabilities, this aerial companion not only observes #wildlife but also becomes an indispensable tool in conserving their habitats. Gone are the days when researchers were confined to observing from afar, missing vital behavioral nuances and significant #environmental changes. The Wildlife Drone revolutionizes the field of conservation by effortlessly gliding through the sky, capturing the essence of animal behavior without interrupting their natural #habitats. From the mesmerizing underwater dance of dolphins to the mighty migration of wildebeests across the Serengeti plains, the Wildlife Drone immortalizes these incredible spectacles, ensuring they will never fade into oblivion. Its silent wings gracefully skim the treetops, bearing witness to secret rendezvous between cheetahs and lions, unveiling the hidden world of nocturnal creatures that reign under the moon's gaze.#wildlifeconservation

Did you know that drones are working on a project to save the loneliest plant on Earth? Encephalartos woodii is a rare cycad that was found in 1895 in the Ongoye Forest in South Africa. All existing specimens are clones of the original male that was removed from the forest at that time. Without a female plant, encephalartos woodii cannot exist in the wild or reproduce naturally––so to bring this plant back from the verge of extinction, scientists need to locate a female specimen somewhere in the wild. The Ongoye Forest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, spans almost 4,000 hectares of dense, difficult-to-access terrain. During their search for a female specimen, scientists decided to pursue remote sensing technologies such as manned aircraft and drones to collect imagery of the region. Drones flew two missions covering 40 acres each, collecting 2,000 images per plot. The images collected using a multispectral camera had a ground resolution of 8.5 cm, and post-flight, the images were mosaicked together for analysis. While researchers are still looking for a female Encephalartos woodii, hopefully, they are able to find one in the near future using innovative methods such as these. Cycads are some of the most endangered species on Earth, in part due to a robust illegal market. It would be tragic to lose these species, which are over 300 million years old and have survived a number of mass extinction events, adapted to extreme environmental shifts, and even outlived the dinosaurs. Read more about this project here: https://lnkd.in/eAiGhc7Q Watch a video about the project here: https://lnkd.in/eunSD6xa Want to support the program? Reach out to Dr Debbie Jewitt and Dr Laura Cinti to learn how you can get involved. #dronesforgood #drones4good #drones #wildlife #conservation #biodiversity Follow me (Kat James) to learn more about #dronesforgood. This month I'm talking about drones for wildlife conservation.