Dear MARMAM community, My co-authors and I are pleased to share our recent publication "A Novel Uncrewed Aircraft System for Small Cetacean Blow Collection: PHASM System Development and Dolphin Behavioral Responses” in Aquatic Mammals.
Gassen;, D. J., Stevens;, P. E., Lynn;, C. N., Yap;, Z., Jacob;, J. D., & Bruck, J. N. (2026). A Novel Uncrewed Aircraft System for Small Cetacean Blow Collection: PHASM System Development and Dolphin Behavioral Responses. Aquatic Mammals, 52(5), 402-422. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.52.5.2026.402 https://www.aquaticmammalsjournal.org/article/a-novel-uncrewed-aircraft-system-for-small-cetacean-blow-collection-phasm-system-development-and-dolphin-behavioral-responses/ Abstract: Marine mammals act as sentinels of environmental well-being with economic and human health implications. For decades, investigators have used invasive methods to gather biological samples from whales and dolphins for health monitoring. Traditionally, delphinid species are rounded up onto boats or corralled and held while numerous samples are collected. Drones or Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UASs) equipped to capture respiratory vapors (blow) became an alternative to more invasive traditional sampling methods. While commercial off-the-shelf rotary wing UASs have been used to collect samples from free-ranging baleen whales and killer whales (Orcinus orca), smaller cetaceans, such as delphinids, present a greater challenge for sample collection via UASs. The use of standard commercial drones may result in inaccurate data or insufficient collection as rotary blades create blow downwash and introduce high noise levels into the environment. However, a fixed-wing capable UAS equipped with a siphon may enable accurate testing of population genetics, hormonal levels, pathogen loads, and microbiological contaminants. The objective of this project was to evaluate the feasibility of a custom fixed-wing UAS, PHASM (Passive Health Assessment of Sea Mammals), to fly over bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) without causing strong behavioral responses while attempting to collect respiratory vapor samples using its siphon system. While attempting blow collection by PHASM, we evaluated swim path deviations and look responses of six dolphins (n = 6) housed at Dolphin Quest Hawaii across 10 trial days. Further, we tested for habituation of effects by testing for significance across trial day by dolphin. Between Control and PHASM treatment, the dolphins exhibited no significant differences in look responses across spatial zones corresponding to drone pass-overs (Zone 1: z = -2.492, p = 0.061; Zone 2: z = -1.699, p = 0.324). Dolphins deviated slightly more post-approach by PHASM than during the Control trials (z = -3.006, p = 0.014). Additionally, we managed to obtain respiratory vapor collection over the last three flight trial days. This is the first ever successful collection of respiratory vapors by a fixed-wing UAS without significant behavioral response, which marks a new technological milestone for health assessment that avoids major disruption of small cetaceans’ lives. Best, Jason Bruck, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Biology Stephen F. Austin State University Director of Research and Education Marineland Florida [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Miller Science 112, P.O. Box 13039, SFA Station, Nacogdoches, TX 75962
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