Lorenzo Fiori

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Postdoctoral Research Associate at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

The Kingdom of Tonga is a one of the few countries worldwide that allow swim-with-whales tourism activities. Most of the tour operators are based in Vava’u archipelago which represents an important breeding ground for Oceania humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). This study represents an assessment of the effects of swimmer approaches on humpba...

Vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are becoming invaluable data collection platforms for cetacean research. In particular, multi-rotors can be used to measure whales and investigate their behavior. Moreover, VTOL UAVs are increasingly accessible for recreational and commercial pilots, and close encounters with whale...

Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga, is a well-established whale-watching destination in the South Pacific. Between July and October, the waters around the archipelago represent one of the most important breeding grounds for Oceania humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). The Tongan government allows tourist swimming activities with whales and tour operator...

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) represent a novel and cost effective research tool to investigate cetacean behaviour, as conventional aircraft are expensive, limited in the altitude they can fly at and potentially disturb sensitive wildlife. In addition, the aerial observation from the UAVs allows assessment of cetacean behaviour from an advantageo...

Unmanned aerial systems (UAS), commonly referred to as drones, are finding applications in several ecological research areas since remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) technology has ceased to be a military prerogative. Fixed-wing RPA have been tested for line transect aerial surveys of geographically dispersed marine mammal species. Despite many advant...

Social group cohesion can identify anti-predator tactics, since it is a protection measure in group living animals. Changes in group cohesion have been documented in dolphins exposed to vessel-induced disturbance which indicates a potential fear response. Dolphin group cohesion has previously been analyzed qualitatively since obtaining fine-scale s...

Bow-riding occurs when dolphins swim in the pressure waves at the front of a vessel. Bow-riding is hypothesized to be “fun” for dolphins or to save them energy although the energetics have not been explored. An UAS (Unoccupied Aerial System) was used to follow and video-record adult dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) bow-riding in front of a...

For 88 years, biologists and engineers have sought to understand the hydrodynamics enabling dolphins to swim at speeds seemingly beyond their energetic capabilities, a phenomenon known as Gray’s paradox. Hydromechanical models calculating the drag of swimming dolphins estimated power requirements for sustained high-speed swimming, which were physio...

We use machine learning object detection and drones to automatically track dolphins using an adapted algorithm for land mammals.

Short-term behavioural responses have been documented in cetaceans exposed to anthropic activities. Increase of swim speed have highlighted how cetaceans can exhibit a flight response when disturbed. While it is possible to quantify variations in swim speed, it is challenging to predict the physiological consequences of such behavioural changes. Th...

Generating accurate estimates of group sizes or behaviours of cetaceans from boat-based surveys can be challenging because much of their activity occurs below the water surface and observations are distorted by horizontal perspectives. Automated observation using drones is an emerging research tool for animal behavioural investigations. However, dr...

Cephalopods are the primary source of food for several species of odontocetes. The unstable nature of this trophic resource is likely to affect the ecology of their cetacean predators. This can be reflected in whale conservation status but also in the tourist activities which focus on cetacean observation. However, the study of cetacean-cephalopod...

Cephalopods are the primary source of food for several species of odontocetes. The unstable nature of this trophic resource is likely to affect the ecology of their cetacean predators, and this can be reflected on their conservation status but also on the tourist activities which target the observation of these animals. However, the study of the ce...

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via a link at the top of the paper.

Few studies have explored the mating patterns of free‐ranging cetaceans, largely because of logistical challenges. We used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to follow and video‐record 25 groups of mating dusky dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obscurus) near the surface of the water and examine how behavior patterns varied with mating group type. We collecte...

The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is revolutionizing marine mammal research. These include Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs, which have been successfully tested for several applications, including cetacean behavioural surveys. This study represents the first empirical assessment of the effects of in-water tourism interactions on c...

Vava’u, Kingdom of Tonga, is a well-established whale-watching destination in the South Pacific. Between July and October the waters around the archipelago represent one of the major breeding grounds for Oceania humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In addition, the Tongan government allows in-water interactions with whales, and tour operators...