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Keywords = Pastinachus ater

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Article
Using Drones to Reveal the Distribution and Population Abundance of Threatened Dasyatid Rays at a Nursery Site in Seychelles
by Robert Bullock, Daisy Fermor, Dillys Pouponeau, Ellie Moulinie and Henriette Grimmel
Drones 2024, 8(2), 48; https://doi.org/10.3390/drones8020048 - 4 Feb 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3912
Abstract
Drones are becoming increasingly valuable tools for studying species in marine environments. Here, a consumer-grade drone was used to elucidate the distribution and population abundance of two threatened dasyatid rays, Pastinachus ater and Urogymnus granulatus, in a remote marine protected area in [...] Read more.
Drones are becoming increasingly valuable tools for studying species in marine environments. Here, a consumer-grade drone was used to elucidate the distribution and population abundance of two threatened dasyatid rays, Pastinachus ater and Urogymnus granulatus, in a remote marine protected area in the Republic of Seychelles. Over six weeks in March and April 2023, a total of 80 survey flights, covering an area of 3.2 km2, recorded 1262 P. ater and 822 U. granulatus. Findings revealed previously unresolved high-use areas for both species, which almost exclusively used sandy areas within the habitat and were found in greater abundances in areas closer to the shoreline. Spatial patterns in abundance were strongly correlated between species, with both often found in mixed-species groups. The site was shown to support large populations of both species with total population abundance estimates of 2524 (2029–3019 95% CI, 0.1 CV) for P. ater and 2136 (1732–2539 95% CI, 0.09 CV) for U. granulatus. This study highlights the applicability of drones in acquiring highly useful data for delineating critical habitats and informing the adaptive management of marine protected areas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Drones in Ecology)
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