{"id":40302,"date":"2024-07-31t16:42:41","date_gmt":"2024-07-31t16:42:41","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/?p=40302"},"modified":"2024-07-31t20:14:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31t20:14:27","slug":"drones-iguana-galapagos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/drones-iguana-galapagos\/","title":{"rendered":"from a drone’s eye view: new tools improve iguana conservation in the gal\u00e1pagos"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

what can marine iguanas \u2014 creatures that charles darwin’s crew nicknamed “imps of darkness,” and filmmakers used as inspiration for godzilla \u2014 teach us about conservation? the iguanas from above<\/a> project, started by amy macleod, ph.d. in 2015, explores this question using a fleet of drones and an online community of over 13,000 volunteers from around the world. macleod’s online community has truly included\u00a0everyone<\/em>, from pandemic-isolated students to volunteers with chronic illnesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

these digital volunteers use the “zooniverse<\/a>” forum to click through aerial photographs and count the number of iguanas in order to inform future conservation practices. such conservation practices matter for marine iguanas, who can lose anywhere from 10 to 90% of their population to starvation during warm-water el ni\u00f1o years. in this story, naturalists explain how “imps of darkness,”  in spite of their extreme boom-and-bust population cycles, offer crucial insights into adaptation, resilience, and evolution. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

to continue reading, click on the full story below!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n