Only 63 M?ui dolphins remain. They are endemic to New Zealand and critically endangered. They face threats from fishing, toxoplasmosis, climate change impacts, oil and gas exploration, seabed mining and more. There is much we don't know about M?ui but if we're able to fill these gaps, we may be able to find better ways to manage these threats.
Aotearoa, this is our dolphin and we can't allow them to disappear forever.
WWF has been putting in the hard mahi to advocate for the protection of M?ui dolphins but until now, there hasn't been a tangible way for New Zealanders to make a real difference for one of the world's rarest dolphins.
On Monday, I went on Newshub to launch Mission Possible #teamMaui.
Mission Possible is a collaboration between WWF-New Zealand and MAUI63. Their team is a small group of cetaceans scientists, developers and tech experts dedicated to protecting marine life with the latest technologies. They have developed an artificial-intelligence powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to find, follow and provide information about the M?ui. Flying overhead with a 50x optical zoom, the UAV can search for the dolphins for up to six hours.
This drone is so sophisticated, it can distinguish M?ui and Hector's dolphins from other species with over 90% accuracy. Plus, by using this technology we will be able to gain a better understanding of their behaviour, habitat, where they swim, and how to protect them.
|