In the azure waters surrounding Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, and amidst the annual migration of humpback whales, Lucie Laporte-Devylder (DC4) stands at the forefront of cutting-edge marine mammal research. Armed with drones equipped with infrared and RGB cameras, Lucie is currently conducting fieldwork as part of her mission to develop innovative methods for monitoring and understanding these majestic creatures.
Fieldwork Activities
Lucie’s work focuses on non-invasive monitoring of large mammals using advanced drone technology. Her fieldwork for summer 2024 involves aerial surveys conducted on La Réunion during peak whale season, where humpback whales migrate to breed and give birth every year. Deploying a DJI Mavic 3T quadcopter, Lucie has captured high-resolution imagery in both visible and infrared spectra. This setup allows her to detect thermal tracks left by various cetaceans, revealing fluke prints, swimming dynamics and movements beneath the ocean’s surface.
Insights from Thermal Imaging
Lucie’s pioneering fieldwork is a great demonstration of the intersection of technology and conservation in modern wildlife research. Through her work on Réunion Island, she not only captures breathtaking footage of humpback whales and dolphins but also explores methodologies that redefine how we monitor and protect marine ecosystems. With infrared imagery, Lucie has captured distinct thermal signatures – so-called fluke prints – that linger on the water’s surface after a whale’s passage. These prints not only indicate the presence of whales but can also reveal clues about what species were present, the size of the group, age-class (e.g. presence of juveniles), and even behavioural patterns such as swimming dynamics and response to external disturbances like recreational boats.
Data Analysis and Future Developments
With a wealth of footage collected, Lucie’s next challenge lies in data analysis. By correlating environmental variables such as sea state and water temperature with the presence and characteristics of fluke prints, she aims to refine detection methods further, and move away from on-animal tagging techniques. This analysis can deepen our understanding of cetacean behaviour and contribute to conservation efforts and the mitigation of human impacts on marine life.
Looking further ahead, Lucie envisions optimizing the methodology for identifying and tracking marine mammals, with for instance the integration of machine learning for automatic image recognition and behavioural analysis.
You can read more about Lucie’s project here.
