A “census” of harp seals has begun in the White Sea, which uses unmanned aerial systems (UAS) of Aeromax company. Optical and infrared cameras are installed on board the UAS, which helps to collect all the necessary data for scientists. Early spring is considered the best time to count the number and record the size characteristics of adults and offspring, the press service of Aeromax said.
Digital aerial mapping of the ice cover of the White Sea in the Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions with the total area of over 50 thousand square km will be conducted within a month. It is here during this period seals rookeries can be seen on the ice, connected with their seasonal migration to the breeding area.
The customer of the aerial survey performed by Joint Stock Company United Telecom (JSC UTK) is All-Russian Research Institute of Fisheries and Oceanography (VNIRO). VNIRO scientists carry out complex monitoring of the harp seal population in the White Sea in order to protect marine mammals from negative effects of both natural and anthropogenic origin.
In the course of work manned and unmanned aviation is used. UAS are silent and can survey from low altitudes without scaring animals. In addition, they are very effective in covering large areas with aerial surveys. Thus, DIAM-20 UAS model involved in the study can cover up to 1 000 kilometers per one sortie.
Late February-early March of the current year Aeromax UAV helped to detect the number of red-listed pinnipeds – Caspian seal on the ice fields of the Northern Caspian Sea. The surveys were conducted over the ice cover in the Russian zone of the Caspian Sea. During ten days the total surveyed area of ice fields was more than 9 thousand sq. km.
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