New Research Redefines Habitat-use of North Atlantic Right Whales
With fewer than 350 North Atlantic Right whales remaining, obtaining a better understanding of their movements and habitat use is crucial to the species’ survival. A new study published in the journal of Limnology and Oceanography, examined areas that are critical for breeding, feeding and transiting for the North Atlantic Right Whale population across their […]
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) praises stakeholder cooperation in efforts to protect whales
Shipping has long been identified as one of the major threats to cetaceans, not only through vessel strikes, but also through noise generated by ships, which can disrupt vital behaviours, like feeding, navigation and migration of cetaceans and other marine animals. Significant steps have already been taken by the industry to protect marine mammals, with […]
Chile launches “smart buoys” to protect migrating whales
The Ministry of the Environment of Chile, in partnership with the MERI Foundation, has deployed an artificial intelligence (AI) powered monitoring buoy in the Gulf of Corcovado (Chile), as part of the Blue BOAT Initiative (Buoy Oceanographic Alert Technology) in an effort to protect whales from ship collision. MERI Foundation The “smart buoys” are equipped […]
Major shipping company shifts lanes to help save Sri Lankan blue whales
The world’s largest shipping and logistics conglomerate, MSC Group, is adjusting its shipping route south of Sri Lanka to reduce collision risk with endangered blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) after environmental NGOs OceanCare and IFAW (International Fund for Animal Welfare) approached MSC Group to help protect these whales. The decision means that transiting MSC container ships […]
Scientists built a real-time sperm whale detection system to reduce vessel strikes
A deep-water acoustic observatory for real-time detection and localization of vocalizing sperm whales was developed, deployed and operated for two 3-month periods in summer 2020 and 2021, off south-west Crete in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, in the framework of the SAvEWhales project. Regular clicks, pulsed sounds produced by the diving animals, were detected and localized […]
Slowing down to reduce strikes of North Pacific Right Whales: podcast & proposed rule
The North Atlantic right whale is a critically endangered species, resulting from threats posed by human interactions with the leading causes of mortality including entanglement in fishing gear and vessel strikes. To address vessel strikes, NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service, an office of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, is proposing […]
Webinar: Federal Agency Approaches to Reducing Vessel Strike of Cetaceans
The Marine Mammal Comission is hosting a webinar on approaches to reduce vessel strikes of cetaceans on April 12th 2022. The Commission and Committee of Scientific Advisors will meet to consider actions for reducing vessel strike of large cetaceans. Specifically, meeting participants will review Federal vessel-routing and speed-reduction programs, their elements and effectiveness, identify locations where additional […]
Pelagos Agreement release workshop report on ship strikes
The Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement has released the final report of the workshop “A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area for the North Western Mediterranean” The Permanent Secretariat of the Pelagos Agreement has released the final report of the workshop “A Particularly Sensitive Sea Area for the North Western Mediterranean”, focusing on ship strikes, co-organised […]
Shipping company leading the way to protect sperm whales in the Mediterranean
Media release from Ocean Care Athens, Hamburg, Zurich – 27 January 2022. A leading shipping and logistics conglomerate, MSC Group, is the first major shipping company to re-route their ships on the west coast of Greece to reduce the risk of collision with endangered sperm whales in the Mediterranean. The decision was made after a coalition […]
Protecting large cetaceans from ship strikes in the Mediterranean
Ship collision is internationally recognised as a major threat to cetaceans, including in the Mediterranean Sea, which is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. As maritime transport in the Mediterranean basin is expected to increase in the coming years, further measures to prevent collisions are needed. The following Mediterranean countries, France, Italy, Spain, […]
