Before I wrap up the week, I thought I’d share a photo of the SM2M deployment … though this image is from 2-3 years ago! When I deployed the SM2M yesterday, the underwater visibility was such that at 24 ft deep, I could not see details of the surface, and vice versa. So, no photos were taken during yesterday’s deployment!
We had a good week this year! Our group got in lots of dives and much bottom time. And, I was able to collect 3 hours of data with the MVA2 and a similar amount on the front-facing GoPro. The GoPro gives us a wider field of view such that we can confirm IDs and some of the behavioral exchanges. I’ll be busy with video logs and photo-ID for these data over the next several months!
We also deployed the SM2M to record dolphin vocal behavior over the next ~2 months. We’ll record 10 minutes of data for every hour while the passive acoustic recorder is deployed. Data analysis comes after we recover the unit.
Stay tuned to the DCP Dolphin Gazette newsletter for updates on our data analyses. And tune in back here on New Year’s Eve when I return to Roatan and Anthony’s Key Resort with a field course with students from Colorado State University and the University of Southern Mississippi!
Cheers
Kathleen