A group of scientists U. K. are to identify high-resolution satellite types of whales from space. With images taken from 385 miles above the surface of the Earth, scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) have begun to better understand the migration patterns of four different species of whales plotting, hoping that the giant mammals. Images are captured by WorldView-3 spacecraft, can identify objects as small as 12 inches wide. So far, the technology has already been used southern right whales rights around Peninsula Valdes, Argentina to capture; Finnwal in parts of the northern Mediterranean; Humpback whales near Hawaii; Pacific gray whales in Laguna San Ignacio, Mexico. “It is the detailed images from previously captured whales satellites. And ‘exciting that the resolution improved features, such as fins and flukes are disclosed which can be seen in the images for the first time,” said Hannah Cubaynes, lead author of the study and a whale ecologist at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) and the University of Cambridge. “The ability to monitor the whales without remote and inaccessible areas of the trip, in a cost-effective way for the benefit of great whales for conservation efforts to be.” Some species such as fin whales and gray, are easier to identify because their color contrasts with the water. Meanwhile, the energy behavior makes the humpback harder to capture in satellite images. image copyright of Chase Dekker Wild Life Picture / Getty Images
Scientists are using satellite technology to track the whales from space
