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Designing a system for underwater imaging and monitoring of Basking Sharks ( Cetorhinus maximus )
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This paper describes an underwater monitoring system for basking sharks, noting that the shark's filter-feeding system — capable of processing two million liters of water per hour — could inspire new technologies for removing microplastics from water. Learning from natural filtration processes may guide the design of more effective plastic removal systems.
The Basking Shark ( Cetorhinus maximus ) is an elusive creature that possesses a highly-specialised filter-feeding system capable of filtering around two million litres of water every hour. Learning from such filters could be instrumental in making new filtration systems for microplastics or pollutants in the future. However, the specific filtration mechanism, as well as many other aspects of their morphology and behaviour, is not well understood. There are numerous difficulties involved with the study of basking sharks, particularly finding the sharks in their ocean habitat and observing them without disturbing them. Here, we propose a robotic platform, the System for underWater Imaging and Monitoring for Marine Environment Research (SWIMMER, SWIM for short), for the non-invasive imaging of basking sharks. The robot was designed to produce high-resolution stereo images at both surface level and underwater. The imaging payload is carried by a surface robot to make it easy to monitor, control, and retrieve. The robot is built low-cost and entirely from off-the-shelf components and 3D printing to enable us to scale up the robot to a swarm in the future for imaging from multiple points of view and for other marine applications. In a single trial, we were able to collect video data from 6 different basking shark encounters with 9 different individuals, as well as gathering data about manoeuvrability. This work has the potential to provide new insights into basking shark feeding behaviour, as well as potentially making marine swarm robotics more accessible to researchers everywhere due to the low cost and ease of construction of the SWIMMERs.
More Papers Like This
The SWIMMER: a System for underWater Imaging and Monitoring for Marine Environment Research
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Researchers developed SWIMMER (System for underWater Imaging and Monitoring for Marine Environment Research), an open-source low-cost robotic platform designed for non-invasive stereo imaging of basking sharks to study their poorly understood gill-raker filtration system — which processes two million liters of water per hour — as a potential model for microplastic filtration technologies. Field trials successfully captured video of 9 individual sharks across 6 encounters, demonstrating the platform's capability for marine environmental monitoring.
Large filter feeding marine organisms as indicators of microplastic in the pelagic environment: The case studies of the Mediterranean basking shark (Cetorhinus maximus) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
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This study investigated whether baleen whales and basking sharks — large filter feeders — ingest microplastics in the Mediterranean and found evidence that both species are exposed to plastic contamination through their filtration feeding behavior. The authors used feeding ecology modeling to estimate plastic ingestion rates and identify associated toxicological risks.
Microplastics: No Small Problem for Filter-Feeding Megafauna
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This study highlights the emerging threat of microplastic pollution to filter-feeding marine megafauna, including mobulid rays, whale sharks, and baleen whales. These animals are particularly vulnerable because their feeding strategies cause them to ingest large volumes of water along with suspended microplastics and associated toxins. The authors call for more research and public awareness to understand the full scope of microplastic impacts on these flagship species.
Taking Hints from Whales: The Mysticete Oral Baleen Filter and Biomimetic Applications to Microplastics Removal Systems
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Researchers examined how mysticete whale baleen plates achieve highly efficient fine-particle filtration and proposed biomimetic engineering principles derived from their hierarchical fiber architecture as a blueprint for designing next-generation microplastic removal systems.
Are baleen whales exposed to the threat of microplastics? A case study of the Mediterranean fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus)
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This case study estimated how many microplastics Mediterranean fin whales and basking sharks might ingest through filter feeding, using feeding rate data and measured microplastic concentrations. The study raised concern that large filter feeders accumulate significant plastic loads and that the associated chemical burden from sorbed pollutants may pose health risks to these protected species.
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