Shark spotting is no easy task. Even the most eagle-eyed boater needs to be lucky enough to come across them.

Drones are already used to find other marine animals, typically surface breathers like whales or those living in clear waters, which allows drone cameras to see beneath the sea surface.

However, as Martin Benavides, a PhD student at the University of North Carolina’s Institute of Marine Sciences, points out, sharks don’t need air. Some sharks also live in rather turbid waters.

Thankfully Benavides’ new study, published in the Journal of Unmanned Vehicle Systems, offers some hope for murky-water shark researchers; mid-day sunshine and little wind doesn’t only make for pleasant weather—it may also be better for drone-based shark photography…

This story was written for (and can be read in full at) Canadian Science Publishing.