A new US$145,694 grant is being used to design and carry out the first autonomous aerial vehicle surveys of Atlantic bluefin tuna that will help provide regional estimates of their numbers.

Deep-sea stocks pushed to the limit [1008759] - 2 Linkid : 2109215

The new aerial survey tool is expected to offer an unmatched, detailed image of bluefin tuna population in the north Atlantic. Photo: NOAA

Fisheries oceanographer, Molly Lutcavage of the Large Pelagic Research Centre at the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Gloucester Marine Research Station, and postdoctoral fellow, Angelina Vanderlaan and colleagues, have been funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) grant to develop new analytical techniques next season to provide a more quantities method of estimating the size and number of individuals within surface schools. Currently, these estimates are made subjectively by observers and spotter pilots.

“We’ll need to complete some smaller pilot studies to make sure the techniques we plan to use are giving us accurate information and to allow us to remove biases inherent in aerial surveys,” Ms Lutcavage said.

The research group is one of NOAA’s pilot research groups in the use of a hexacopter, or remote-controlled aerial vehicles, to study fish in natural conditions at sea. These small, maneuverable craft carry a high-resolution camera mounted in the belly to hover over schools of tuna, allowing researchers to photograph and later count individuals in the group.

Along with sonar, the new aerial survey tool is expected to offer an unmatched, detailed image of bluefin tuna population in the north Atlantic.

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