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60 st / September 2015 www.sea-technology.com Hexacopter and Camera Collect Data on Whale Health A research team has successfully demonstrated a new noninvasive tool to obtain hard-to-get health measure- ments of large endangered whales in the wild. Using a small, remote-con- trolled hexacopter, scientists for the frst time collected breath samples from the whales' spouts, combined with aerial photos of their body condition. With breath samples, scientists can analyze whales' DNA, hormones and bacteria levels for things such as fam- ily history, stress levels and health. The high-resolution photos provide re- searchers with a way to assess general health and body condition, such as fat level and skin lesions. Scientists at Woods Hole Ocean- ographic Institution (WHOI) and NOAA used the 32-in.-diameter, six- rotor hexacopter in an experiment on humpback whales in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary off New England. Rigged with a specialized camera system, the unmanned air- borne vehicle few 125 to 150 ft. above sea level to get full-body photographs of 36 animals. It swooped down to 10 ft. above sea level to collect 20 breath samples from 16 whales. The breath samples will be ana- lyzed to fnd the assemblage of mi- cro-organisms in the whales' respira- tory tracts, the most common source of cetacean disease. The scientists plan to use the hexacopter next winter to collect breath samples from the same whale species living near the Antarctic Peninsula. They will compare the sam- ples from animals living in relatively pristine conditions there with those from animals in Stellwagen, which has more ship traffc, fshing and pollution. Seawater AC Could Cool Caribbean Buildings Makai Ocean Engineering has com- pleted a feasibility study of a district cooling system that uses deep, cold seawater, known as seawater air condi- tioning (SWAC). The study was commis- sioned by CAF - Development Bank of Latin America, with co-fnancing from the Agence Française de Développe- ment (AFD), and used Makai's recently upgraded district cooling software. Eight locations in the Caribbean were analyzed for SWAC develop- ment, which were then down-selected to the two most promising sites: Mon- tego Bay in Jamaica and Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. SWAC replaces the chillers used in conventional AC systems that serve large buildings, such as hotels, greatly reducing their electrical consumption and costs of cooling. The benefts of SWAC include: en- ergy savings approaching 90 percent compared to conventional AC; low, stable operating costs almost entirely independent of volatile energy pric- es; proven technology; and reduced greenhouse gas emissions and fuel and water consumption. MARAD Funds Study On Hydrogen-Fueled Ferry The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is providing $500,000 to support a feasibility study for the de- sign, construction and operation of a high-speed passenger ferry powered ocean research ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITY Sea Technology Buyers Guide/Directory 2016 Published since 1969, this comprehensive annual volume with contact information includes a market overview and seven sections covering… INDUSTRIAL FIRMS; EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS; SERVICES; PRODUCTS; FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS; OCEANOGRAPHIC RESEARCH VESSELS; and GEOPHYSICAL SURVEY VESSELS. Available in both print and digital formats. Can be viewed on mobile phones, tablets & e-readers. Advertising space commitments close October 9. For advertising information, contact us at seatechads@sea-technology.com or +703.524.3136. Please direct listing inquiries to stbuyersguide@sea-technology.com. ACT NOW!!