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Researchers at the Santa Barbara, California, U.S.A.-based Benioff Ocean Science Lab helped develop an AI-powered thermal camera that can detect grey whales, and scientists are using the technology to reduce the risk of vessel strikes in San Francisco Bay.
The forward-looking infrared (FLIR) cameras use AI-powered technology developed by WhaleSpotter that detects the heat signature of warm-blooded whale blows at all hours of the day up to 4 nautical miles out, according to a release. The project was a collaboration between the Benioff Ocean Science Lab, the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service, and whale experts at the Marine Mammal Center.
Each time a detection is made on a camera, a WhaleSpotter-credentialed marine mammal specialist reviews the credibility of the alert before sending it to a scientist at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). Scientists in Santa Barbara then map the detection on a Whale Safe website, shared with Bay mariners and the U.S. Coast Guard’s Vessel Traffic Service, which communicates with nearby vessels that are under an “imminent threat,” the release said.
“It is heartbreaking to see these starving whales stumbling around in the middle of the hustle and bustle of San Francisco Bay,” Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory Director and UCSB Professor Douglas McCauley said. “Every day is a nailbiter. But what gives me hope is seeing how all the right partners in the Bay Area community have come together to do something. This new system will save whales’ lives. We are all proud of this.”
With whale season peaking in May during warming temperatures, developers home the release of the camera will come in time to reduce vessel strikes this year.
“We’re relieved to have these cameras going live during this critical moment in the gray whale season,” Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory lead scientist on the project Rachel Rhodes said. “Last year was one of the deadliest on record for gray whales in the Bay, with 21 dead, and seven more have already died this year. The whale and mariner communities have been racing to get ahead of this, building new tools and partnerships we didn’t have a year ago.”
The first system was built on a USCG communication station on Angel Island, which points across the Bay towards Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge. The second is planned for installation on MV Lyra, which is a passenger ferry operated by San Francisco Bay Ferry on a daily route from Vallejo to downtown San Francisco. That installation will be the first vessel-based system built in the Bay. Possible additional sites include the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.
“SF Bay Ferry has worked closely with the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marine Mammal Center, the Harbor Safety Committee, our contract operator Blue & Gold Fleet and our sister agency Golden Gate Ferry to develop and elevate whale protection protocols and avoid strikes in the San Francisco Bay,” SF Bay Ferry Executive Director Seamus Murphy said.
McCauley said there are future plans for both expansion and accessibility, allowing users to track gray whales through a mobile application real-time.
“I’m excited to see WhaleSpotter deployed in San Francisco Bay,” Marine Mammal Center Director of Cetacean Conservation Biology Kathi George said. “This kind of real-time whale monitoring is a major step forward for reducing vessel strike risk and protecting gray whales navigating one of the nation’s busiest waterways. Having 24/7 visibility into when whales are present will strengthen awareness and communication across the maritime sector and support action to help keep both whales and vessels safe.”
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Haley Jones is the Portland, Maine-based associate editor of SeafoodSource. Previously, she covered high school sports for the Maine Trust for Local News in Lewiston, Maine, where she won multiple awards from the Maine Press Association. Haley is also a graduate of Occidental College in Los Angeles, California, and got her start in writing at a local newspaper in South Carolina.
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