An AI-powered WhaleSpotter network began operating to detect whales in San Francisco Bay around the clock. The system scans for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away and sends alerts to mariners so they can slow down or reroute before reaching whales. The alerts also support long-term tracking to identify areas where whales linger, enabling route adjustments during whale season. The initiative responds to a sharp rise in gray whale deaths in the Bay Area, including many attributed to ship strikes. Scientists note reported numbers likely underestimate total mortality because carcasses can sink or be carried out of the bay before being found. Gray whales increasingly enter and remain in the bay for days or weeks, linked to climate-driven changes to Arctic sea ice and the food web.
"The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby. They'll be able to make adjustments way before they get anywhere close, said Thomas Hall, director of operations for San Francisco Bay Ferry. It will also allow us to track data over time and see where the whales are camping out so we can adjust our routes during whale season to avoid those areas completely."
"Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night. The system scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby. They'll be able to make adjustments way before they get anywhere close."
"The effort comes amid an alarming rise in gray whale deaths in the bay. Last year, 21 dead gray whales were found in the wider Bay Area the highest number in 25 years, according to The Marine Mammal Center with at least 40% killed by ship strikes. At least 10 more have died in the Bay Area so far this year. Scientists say those figures likely underestimate the true toll as many whale carcasses sink or are swept back out to sea before they are ever found or reported."
"Gray whales have long migrated along the California coast on their roughly 12,000-mile (19,300-kilometer) journey between breeding lagoons in Mexico and feeding grounds in the Arctic. But instead of simply passing offshore, increasing numbers are now diverting into San Francisco Bay and lingering for days or even weeks inside the crowded estuary a shift scientists increasingly link to climate change. Warming temperatures and shifts in sea ice in the Arctic are disrupting the food web gray whales rely on during summer feeding months, according to a 2023 study."
#ai-wildlife-detection #ship-strike-prevention #gray-whale-mortality #san-francisco-bay #climate-change-impacts
Read at www.berkeleyside.org
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