Drones detect deadly virus in Arctic whales' breath

Drones sampling whale exhalations have detected cetacean morbillivirus in Arctic waters, a finding that confirms the virus is circulating above the Arctic Circle. Scientists collected samples from the exhaled droplets, or blows, of humpback, fin and sperm whales, using drones equipped with sterile petri dishes, and complemented these with skin biopsies taken from boats. The discovery marks the first time researchers have linked the virus to Arctic air-exposed whale populations and raises questions about the health risks facing wild whales as Arctic ecosystems undergo rapid change.

Researchers flew drones outfitted with sterile collection gear to capture droplets from the exhaled breath of whales, then analyzed the samples alongside skin biopsies. The sampling spanned the North-East Atlantic, including multiple whale species. Cetacean morbillivirus is highly contagious and can cause severe disease and mass die-offs in dolphins, whales, and porpoises. It is capable of jumping between species and traveling across oceans, making it a significant threat to marine mammals. The study emphasizes that drone-based sampling of whale blows offers a viable, minimally invasive tool to monitor pathogens in live animals without stressing them, providing crucial insights into diseases in evolving Arctic ecosystems.

The research represents a collaboration among King’s College London and The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in the United Kingdom, and Nord University in Norway. The team published their findings in BMC Veterinary Research, detailing how the combination of blow sampling and skin biopsies can reveal the presence of infectious agents in wild whale populations. Dr. Helena Costa of Nord University described the approach as a potential game changer for ongoing health surveillance in Arctic marine life, enabling researchers to track emerging threats as environments shift under climate pressures.

"It is a game-changer for whale health monitoring," said Prof Terry Dawson of King’s College London. "Sampling whale blows from drones allows us to monitor pathogens in live whales without stress or harm, providing critical insights into diseases in rapidly changing Arctic ecosystems."

"Going forward, the priority is to continue using these methods for long-term surveillance, so we can understand how multiple emerging stressors will shape whale health in the coming years," added Helena Costa of Nord University, Norway. The researchers stressed that this approach can be applied to monitor a range of pathogens beyond cetacean morbillivirus and that its noninvasive nature makes it well suited to continued, large-scale surveillance across migratory routes and seasons.

The Arctic region is warming, sea ice patterns are shifting, and whale populations are exposed to an array of stressors that can influence disease dynamics. In this context, the study argues that early detection of infectious agents through noninvasive means could help scientists identify outbreaks before they escalate, informing conservation actions and policy responses. The researchers caution that while the detection of cetacean morbillivirus above the Arctic Circle is concerning, continued monitoring over time is needed to understand transmission pathways, potential cross-species infections, and how changing ocean conditions might modulate virus spread among humpback, fin and sperm whales.

This study focuses on a region spanning the North-East Atlantic, aligning with known migrations and the ecological connectivity of whale populations across European waters. By enabling noninvasive pathogen surveillance, researchers hope to build a long-running, systematic monitor of whale health that can adapt to the fast-changing Arctic and contribute to international efforts to protect marine mammal populations from emerging diseases.

In sum, the use of drone-based blow sampling represents a meaningful advancement in wildlife health monitoring, offering a practical pathway to detect and track infectious diseases in wild whales without the ethical and logistical constraints of more invasive methods. As Arctic conditions continue to evolve, such methodologies may become integral to proactive conservation strategies and the safeguarding of oceanic biodiversity in the decades ahead.