06/02/2026
Tagging whales from the sky:
Since 2019, members of the MMRP have been deploying non-invasive suction-cup accelerometry tags across a diverse suite of species in Hawaiʻi and abroad, including humpback whales, gray whales, pilot whales, false killer whales, and monk seals. Our efforts have focused on quantifying their energetic expenditure and energetic requirements, while simultaneously quantifying vocal behavior and fine-scale movement kinematics. Traditionally, we have been approaching the animals from behind via boats and deploying tags by via a 7-meter carbon fiber pole. However, recently we have transitioned to tagging whales from the sky…. Yes, recent technological advances are allowing us to tags whales via our drones.
Why Are These Tag Data So Valuable?
Collectively, these tag data-streams provide a mechanistic bridge between individual-level processes and population-level outcomes that is directly relevant to management. High-resolution estimates of activity-specific energy expenditure, when coupled with behavioral state classification, allow us to quantify how animals allocate energy across different behaviors such as foraging, traveling and reproduction. This, in turn, enables us to identify behavioral states that are energetically costly or critical to fitness, and therefore most vulnerable to disturbance. When integrated with long-term photo-identification data, drone-derived body condition metrics, and environmental covariates, these datasets provide a robust foundation for parameterizing theoretical framework, such as Population Consequences of Disturbance (PCOD/PCoMS), with empirical data.
From an applied perspective, these tools allow managers to move beyond coarse proxies of exposure toward quantifying the actual biological consequences of disturbance. For example, accelerometry-derived energy budgets, from the tag data, can be used to estimate lost foraging opportunities, movement costs, or energetic consequences of altered resting behavior under varying exposure scenarios (e.g., vessel traffic, sonar, tourism pressure). These individual-level impacts can be propagated through bioenergetic and demographic models to forecast effects on survival, reproductive success, and ultimately population trajectories. Such forecasts are essential for evaluating mitigation strategies, setting evidence-based thresholds (e.g., allowable disturbance levels), and refining stock assessments and Potential Biological Removal (PBR) calculations by the Federal Government.
This work is part of a project funded by the Office of Naval Research and the Navy’s Living Marine Resources program. We received additional support from Dolphin Quest and via philanthropy, including donations from JP and Dalia Maheu, Benjy Garfinkle, Kristin and Larry Link, and Paul and Elle Stephens.
See blog post: https://www.mmrphawaii.org/post/suction-cup-tagging-whales-from-the-sky
