Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol
Abstract Great whales have been detected using very‐high‐resolution satellite imagery, suggesting this technology could be used to monitor whales in remote areas. However, the application of this method to whale studies is at an early developmental stage and several technical factors need to be addr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.155 |
| _version_ | 1811289021021683712 |
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| author | Hannah C. Cubaynes W. Gareth Rees Jennifer A. Jackson Michael Moore Todd L. Sformo William A. McLellan Misty E. Niemeyer John C. George Julie van derHoop Jaume Forcada Phil Trathan Peter T. Fretwell |
| author_facet | Hannah C. Cubaynes W. Gareth Rees Jennifer A. Jackson Michael Moore Todd L. Sformo William A. McLellan Misty E. Niemeyer John C. George Julie van derHoop Jaume Forcada Phil Trathan Peter T. Fretwell |
| author_sort | Hannah C. Cubaynes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Great whales have been detected using very‐high‐resolution satellite imagery, suggesting this technology could be used to monitor whales in remote areas. However, the application of this method to whale studies is at an early developmental stage and several technical factors need to be addressed, including capacity for species differentiation and the maximum depth of detection in the water column. Both require knowledge of the spectral reflectance of the various whale species just above the sea surface, as when whales bodies break the surface of the water to breath, log or breach, there is, at times, no sea water between the whale's skin and the satellite sensor. Here we tested whether such reflectance could be measured on dead whale tissue. We measured the spectral reflectance of fresh integument collected during the bowhead subsistence harvest, and of thawed integument samples from various species obtained following strandings and stored at −20°C. We show that fresh and thawed samples of whale integument have different spectral properties. The reflectance of fresh samples was higher than the reflectance of thawed samples, as integument appears to darken after death and with time, even under frozen conditions. In this study, we present the first whale reflectance estimates (without the influence of sea water and for dead tissue). These provide a baseline for additional work, needed to advance the use of satellite imagery to monitor whales and facilitate their conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:47:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1806552ee07e4d76af45b34002f20d9d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2056-3485 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T03:47:35Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-1806552ee07e4d76af45b34002f20d9d2022-12-22T03:03:55ZengWileyRemote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation2056-34852020-09-016341142310.1002/rse2.155Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocolHannah C. Cubaynes0W. Gareth Rees1Jennifer A. Jackson2Michael Moore3Todd L. Sformo4William A. McLellan5Misty E. Niemeyer6John C. George7Julie van derHoop8Jaume Forcada9Phil Trathan10Peter T. Fretwell11British Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET UKScott Polar Research Institute University of Cambridge Lensfield Road CambridgeCB2 1ER UKBritish Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET UKBiology Department Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543Department of Wildlife Management North Slope Borough PO Box 69 Barrow Alaska 99723Biology and Marine Biology University of North Carolina Wilmington 601 South College Road Wilmington North Carolina 28403‐3201International Fund for Animal Welfare 290 Summer Street Yarmouth Port Massachusetts 02675Department of Wildlife Management North Slope Borough PO Box 69 Barrow Alaska 99723Biology Department Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole Massachusetts 02543British Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET UKBritish Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET UKBritish Antarctic Survey High Cross, Madingley Road Cambridge CB3 0ET UKAbstract Great whales have been detected using very‐high‐resolution satellite imagery, suggesting this technology could be used to monitor whales in remote areas. However, the application of this method to whale studies is at an early developmental stage and several technical factors need to be addressed, including capacity for species differentiation and the maximum depth of detection in the water column. Both require knowledge of the spectral reflectance of the various whale species just above the sea surface, as when whales bodies break the surface of the water to breath, log or breach, there is, at times, no sea water between the whale's skin and the satellite sensor. Here we tested whether such reflectance could be measured on dead whale tissue. We measured the spectral reflectance of fresh integument collected during the bowhead subsistence harvest, and of thawed integument samples from various species obtained following strandings and stored at −20°C. We show that fresh and thawed samples of whale integument have different spectral properties. The reflectance of fresh samples was higher than the reflectance of thawed samples, as integument appears to darken after death and with time, even under frozen conditions. In this study, we present the first whale reflectance estimates (without the influence of sea water and for dead tissue). These provide a baseline for additional work, needed to advance the use of satellite imagery to monitor whales and facilitate their conservation.https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.155Population monitoringreflectancespectroradiometerVHR satellitewhales |
| spellingShingle | Hannah C. Cubaynes W. Gareth Rees Jennifer A. Jackson Michael Moore Todd L. Sformo William A. McLellan Misty E. Niemeyer John C. George Julie van derHoop Jaume Forcada Phil Trathan Peter T. Fretwell Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation Population monitoring reflectance spectroradiometer VHR satellite whales |
| title | Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol |
| title_full | Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol |
| title_fullStr | Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol |
| title_short | Spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface: a proposed measurement protocol |
| title_sort | spectral reflectance of whale skin above the sea surface a proposed measurement protocol |
| topic | Population monitoring reflectance spectroradiometer VHR satellite whales |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.155 |
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