**7. Conclusions**

214 Solar Radiation

Fig. 9. Post combat thermal images sequence (A-F) of an alpha male northern elephant seal

The use of thermal cameras for biological study has been well validated in the past for both individual studies and those involving groups of animals (McCaffery, 2007). Using either the IR camera or computer software paired with it, maximum, minimum, and mean temperatures can be measured and calculated rapidly and efficiently. However, distance from the organism, emissivity, relative humidity, and TA must be known to reduce errors in the camera's detection of surface temperature. Solar and UV radiation measurements can now be statistically paired with the temperature data, skin variability in temperature, thermal gradient between skin temperature and ambient/substrate temperature, and other environmental or physiological measurements. Use of IR cameras eliminates the need to capture or handle animals in physiological, behavioral, and ecological studies involving

taken at intervals of ~1min immediately following a combat lasting 11 min. Skin temperature variability is clearly displayed over time. Source: Norris et al., 2010.

thermoregulation.

Solar radiation is essential for life, transferring energy to plants that form the basis of food webs. Assorted wavelengths emitted by the sun initiate a variety of responses across most species. Organisms have evolved thermoregulatory behaviors and responses to concentrated or extended periods of solar radiation as well as to changes in ambient temperature, which is also affected by solar intensity. Ultraviolet radiation can have both beneficial and detrimental effects on organisms depending on dosage and wavelength. Infrared radiation can be used as a measure of surface temperature using thermal infrared cameras, now relatively affordable, and have been validated for scientific research.
