ACAP Small Grant 2023-01

Skyward heat: thermal signatures revealing population size and productivity in albatross and giant petrel colonies

Project Leader: Martin Brogger, Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos (IBIOMAR-CONICET), Argentina. 

Amount awarded: AUD 23,370

The purpose of this project is to evaluate the benefits of using aerial thermal imaging surveys as a tool to determine the population size and productivity of albatross and giant petrel colonies when birds are inconspicuous or visually cryptic. The utility of the proposed method will be tested in two Southern Giant Petrel colonies of Patagonia, Argentina.

The integration of advanced remote electronic technologies, like drones outfitted with thermal cameras, is poised to become a norm for aiding researchers in the monitoring of Procellariiforms in the coming years. Establishing work protocols, offering usage recommendations, providing data analysis guidelines, and conducting field tests in real-field scenarios constitute the initial stride toward realizing this vision. The findings derived from this study can furnish valuable resources for accurately counting albatrosses and other nest-surface seabird species that breed in challenging environments such as dense grass cover and harsh snowing conditions.

Emphasis will be placed on the analysis of the effectiveness of these monitoring in comparison with traditional methods. In this way, future data could be contrasted with past data in an appropriate manner with correction factors.