New satellite imagery research led by the University of Ottawa is the first to identify a specific endangered Gulf of St. Lawrence North Atlantic right whale from space.
October 13, 2022
New satellite imagery research led by the University of Ottawa is the first to identify a specific endangered Gulf of St. Lawrence North Atlantic right whale from space.
Matus Hodul, a Ph. D student in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics of the Faculty of Arts who is co-author of the study with Dr. Anders Knudby, explains how this technology can be used for monitoring the critically endangered whales, know as Eubalaena glacialis, and lead to improved conservation efforts.
Please provide some context on the current state of the right whale population
Matus Hodul: The North Atlantic right whale is critically endangered, with about 336 individual whales accounted for. Mortality comes from whales being hit by ships and becoming entangled in fishing gear, so being able to detect and monitor their location is important to conservation efforts. Knowing where the whales are at any given time enables fisheries to open or close to avoid the whales and enables ships to bypass them to prevent collisions.
What is this technology and how will it help right whales?
M.
