*SHIP STRIKE WORKSHOP, Sat. Dec 7th at the SMM Biology of Marine Mammals Conference in Dunedin, NZ*
This workshop has recently been expanded to a full day workshop and will include panel speakers discussing the Spotter "App" in California, REPCET in the Mediterranean and ship strike issues in Australia, Hawaii and elsewhere around the world! Please join in the conversation! Register online at the SMM website.
Can The Cloud Save Whales?
Background and Theme
Ship strikes of whales by commercial vessels engaged in global commerce have been recognized as a growing concern worldwide. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is concerned about large whale mortalities from ship strikes along the coast of the United States, particularly in regards to vulnerable populations like the North Atlantic Right Whale on the east coast and the Blue Whale in the Pacific.
Blues, right, humpback and fin whales are listed internationally as endangered and threatened with extinction in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and in the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Red List. Mortality from ship strikes has been identified by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) as a serious threat to population recovery of these vulnerable whale species.
Within the last decade, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and NMFS have worked together and with partners such as the United States Coast Guard (USCG), environmental NGOs and private industry to protect whales from vessel traffic. For example, on the east coast of the US, comprehensive right whale monitoring has led to the shift of vessel traffic lanes away from areas of high whale densities. Additionally, passive acoustic monitoring has contributed to a sophisticated system that alerts vessels entering Boston harbor to the presence of right whales.
However, in this dreary fiscal climate, comprehensive monitoring and costly technological solutions are nearly impossible for the federal government to fund, and NOAA has had to become increasingly creative in their methods for 1) monitoring the presence of whales in US waters; 2) educating and reaching-out to the public, and; 3) implementing management measures that will better protect these vulnerable species. NOAA’s ONMS, the shipping industry and partner ENGO’s have recently been working with private tech developers to utilize the power of cloud technology to achieve our goals of real-time data that informs dynamic spatial management of commercial vessels.
The ONMS in the West Coast Region is involved in an on-going effort to effectively engage stakeholders to collect data on marine mammals for the respective sanctuaries through a mobile app called Spotter. Concurrently, east coast sanctuaries have been leveraging mobile technology to convey management measures (such as seasonal speed limits) to the maritime transportation industry. These efforts have incredible potential, but along with them comes a host of challenging questions. Issues to be discussed in this workshop include:
-
the scientific integrity of data gathered by citizens and naturalists -
the use of citizen science to inform management -
the engagement of the commercial shipping industry in data collection -
the scale-ability of this technology (what might this look like on a national/global scale?) -
the problem of measuring success -
the inherent difficulties of providing near real-time information on whale presence to the (adoring) public- will this create harassment issues?
Relevance: This workshop is relevant to all scientists, policy-makers and managers wishing to harness the power and scope of mobile technology and citizen science to support marine mammal conservation. It has the potential to be an incredible education and outreach tool, connecting stakeholders with science and policy.
Output: The workshop will provide ONMS and partners with valuable feedback to make the technology useful and effective. It will also allow participants to learn about other similar efforts around the world and to discuss the potential for a consistent and comprehensive solution to marine mammal monitoring.
Potential Presenters:
Jake Levenson, Conserve IO
David Wiley, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Monica DeAngelis, NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (confirmed)
John Calambokidis, Cascadia Research
Jerome Couvet, Souffleurs d'Ecume
and more!
Thank You,
-- Leslie Abramson Resource Protection Specialist Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary 991 Marine Drive, The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129 415-561-6622, Ext 306 Fax: 415-561-6616 http://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac.html
-- Leslie Abramson Advisory Council Coordinator Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary 991 Marine Drive, The Presidio San Francisco, CA 94129 415-561-6622, Ext 306 Fax: 415-561-6616 http://farallones.noaa.gov/manage/sac.html