Parley SnotBot® – Sea of Cortez
One of the biggest obstacles to the action and solutions we need to protect our oceans is a lack of understanding. No one fully comprehends what’s going on in the underwater realm. One thing we do know: there is a direct link between our health and the health of the oceans — and the oceans are ailing. In order to protect and conserve the marine ecosystems and creatures on which our own future depends, it is imperative that we turn our attention to the sea’s engineering species. Or more specifically, to the snot of the largest and oldest creatures on Earth.
With the drone-enabled research innovation known as SnotBot®, together with Ocean Alliance and a collaborative team we've found a way to collect valuable data from whales without disturbing them in their rightful, natural habitats. Using technology from drone-leading drone manufacturer DJI, Parley SnotBot® completed the second non-invasive whale research expedition in the Sea of Cortez.
Utilizing the unique capabilities of drones, researchers were able to collect samples which measure the health of whales without the interference of typical methodologies. In addition to increasing sample size, advances in drones and cameras are giving us a whole new perspective on these majestic, threatened beings. Parley SnotBot® Sea of Cortez provided some incredible encounters with grey whales, humpbacks, and the largest creature ever to have lived on Earth: the blue whale.
Through collaborations with marine experts and technology leaders, the Parley Snotbot® crew has gathered and established the world’s largest global tissue sample collection from a single marine species, sperm whales, and continues to develop and improve benign research tools and techniques.
Parley SnotBot®
We've teamed up with Ocean Alliance to support groundbreaking whale research, engage new audiences in the solutions, and more effectively collect and communicate big data on ocean health to affect long-term change. Snotbot® is a registered trademark of Ocean Alliance.
“I think we are very focused on ourselves, and the reality is our own self interest should have us focusing more on the environment around us. As a species, our future is in our oceans.”
Dr. Iain Kerr
READ MORE
