FALMOUTH – State and local scientists are launching acoustic buoys to monitor the presence of critically endangered North Atlantic right whales as they return to coastal waters for the season.
The devices installed off Cape Ann and Cape Cod Bay by the Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s (DFG) Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will collect sounds from whales in near real-time, giving scientists a better idea about their behavior and inform policies on fishing closures and speed restrictions.
The buoys have already detected fin whales, humpback whales, and North Atlantic right whales.
“Massachusetts has a special responsibility to conserve North Atlantic Right Whales. Each season, we host over two-thirds of the remaining 370 individuals right here in Cape Cod Bay,” said DFG Commissioner Tom O’Shea in a statement.
“While incredible progress has been made, human impacts and climate change continue to threaten the survival of this species. Strong partnerships give this species the best chance of recovery.”
Buoy locations. Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries.
The monitoring effort is part of a broader conservation effort of North Atlantic right whales under the DMF’s Protected Species Program. It also includes expanded aerial surveillance in partnership with the Center for Coastal Studies.
The data from the buoys is available from WHOI online here.
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