Drone on beach
Detailed Description
USGS uses small uncrewed aerial systems, also known as drones for science, to survey walrus herds and carcasses on remote Alaskan beaches. The USGS visual observer, Christina Ahlstrom, keeps her eyes on the survey drone while the remote pilot prepares it to survey the walrus herd that is visible in the distance behind her on the beach.
To understand these trampling events and account for the loss of these walruses within the Stock Assessment process required by the Marine Mammal Protection Act, USGS is pioneering survey methods with small drones and satellite imagery.
Sources/Usage
Public Domain.
Photo taken by Anthony Fischbach, U.S. Geological Survey
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