Developing a practical application of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies for conservation research and monitoring of endangered wildlife
Not stated
- Location
- Southampton, United Kingdom
- Funding
- Fully funded (UK and international); Stipend in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase
- Application deadline
- See university guidance
About the project
Many wildlife species have been pushed into Earth’s few remaining areas still unmodified by human activities, at the edge of existence. Advances in the capabilities of Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), remotely operated camera and acoustic technologies, and big-data analysis by machine learning, now offer opportunities to survey otherwise inaccessible areas and develop robust datasets for populations of conservation concern, which are often cryptic species.
This technology promises – but has not yet delivered on its potential – to count animals too rare for foot patrols and too cryptic for satellite imagery, to follow individual animals without disturbing them, and to quantify forest biodiversity and hunting frequency from soundscapes – all complex problems insoluble by direct observation.
Your project will develop and test methodologies for evaluating this promise. You will trial newly developed equipment and collect field data relevant to conservation management of snow leopards in Kazakhstan (IUCN Red Listed as Vulnerable), and/or scimitar-horned oryx (Regionally Extinct), addax (Critically Endangered) and slender-horned gazelles (Endangered) in Tunisia.
By the end of this project, you will have added to global knowledge on value and limits of conservation technology, to projections for population trajectories of endangered mammals, and to understanding of causes of population declines.
For full project details visit the Inspire project page .
Supervisors
- Professor Patrick Doncaster (University of Southampton)
- Dr Philip Riordan (Marwell Wildlife)
- Dr Mario Ferraro (University of Southampton)
- Dr Mark Pickering (University of Southampton)
Potential supervisors
- Potential supervisors: Lead supervisor
Entry requirements
A 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent , in any discipline.
Fees and funding
INSPIRE studentships are funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, part of UK Research and Innovation, UKRI). The stipend is in line with UKRI standard levels, including the recent cost of living increase.
All studentships are fully funded for 3.5 years.
How to apply
To make an application, visit the how to apply section of the INSPIRE website .
Contact us
For questions about the project, contact Professor Patrick Doncaster.
Email: cpd@soton.ac.uk
For questions about the application process, contact the graduate school office.
Email: gsnocs@soton.ac.uk