Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are increasingly used for wildlife research and monitoring, but little information exists on their potential effect on marine mammals. We assessed the effects of a UAV on the behavior of southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) in Australia. Focal follows of ten right whale mother‐calf pairs were conducted using a theodolite. Control data were recorded for 30 min, and then a DJI Inspire 1 Pro was flown above the whales for 10 min at 5 m altitude. Potential changes to horizontal behavior (swim speed and turning angle) and surfacing pattern (interbreath intervals) were investigated by comparing mother‐calf behavior before and during UAV approaches. Changes in respiration rate were used to quantify energetic effects. We also explored acoustic cue perceptibility of the UAV at 5, 10, and 30 m altitude, by measuring the received UAV underwater noise level on whales equipped with acoustic tags (DTAGs). The received noise levels were 86.0 ± 3.9 dB re 1 μPa, while the measured ambient noise was 80.7 ± 7.3 dB re 1 μPa in the same frequency band (100–1,500 Hz). No behavioral response to the UAV was observed. This provides support for UAVs as a noninvasive tool to study baleen whale behavior and ecophysiology.

中文翻译：

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南露脊鲸对附近无人机的低噪音水平没有表现出行为反应

无人机 (UAV) 越来越多地用于野生动物研究和监测，但关于它们对海洋哺乳动物的潜在影响的信息很少。我们评估了无人机对澳大利亚南露脊鲸（Eubalaena australis）行为的影响。使用经纬仪对十对露脊鲸母-小鲸进行了焦点跟踪。记录控制数据 30 分钟，然后 DJI Inspire 1 Pro 在 5 m 高度的鲸鱼上方飞行 10 分钟。通过比较无人机接近之前和期间的母小牛行为，研究了水平行为（游泳速度和转弯角度）和浮出水面模式（呼吸间隔）的潜在变化。呼吸速率的变化被用来量化能量效应。我们还探索了无人机在 5、10 和 30 m 高度的声学线索可感知性，通过测量配备声学标签 (DTAG) 的鲸鱼接收到的无人机水下噪声水平。接收到的噪声电平为 86.0 ± 3.9 dB re 1 μPa，而在相同频段 (100–1,500 Hz) 中测得的环境噪声为 80.7 ± 7.3 dB re 1 μPa。没有观察到对无人机的行为反应。这为无人机作为研究须鲸行为和生态生理学的非侵入性工具提供了支持。