A mobile app could be the solution to whale strikes, which see the giant marine mammals colliding with shipping vessels.
The brainchild of Conserve.IO, in collaboration with shipping companies, US government officials and marine scientists, the Whale Spotter smartphone app allows sailors, fishermen and marine scientists who spot whales to plot the endangered animals' location on an interactive map.
The app will essentially be run by a network of whale spotters off the California coast so the animals can be monitored as they migrate, in real time.
This crowdsourced data can be accessed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the US Coast Guard, who will be able to recommend alternative routes for vessels.
According to Monica DeAngelis, marine mammal biologist for the National Marine Fisheries Service, while figures show that only 100 whales were struck by large vessels in the past 20 years, the true number could be 10 times higher because, once struck, the creatures often sink to the bottom of the ocean and the collision goes unreported.
The app is currently being tested by a group of marine scientists in California and will outline the feeding grounds of whales in the San Francisco Bay area, an area frequented by the enormous creatures as they migrate up the California coast. "This app is an opportunity for citizen scientists - people who love these waters - to contribute to protecting whales in the sanctuaries, giving us extra eyes on the water," Jackie Dragon, a Greenpeace campaigner, told Reuters.
In June, revelations about the migratory patterns of whales saw three shipping lanes into the San Francisco Bay being rerouted, but marine scientists are calling for more information about the animals.
According to John Berge, VP of the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association, there is no doubt that whales and large shipping vessels need to be kept separate to ensure the survival of the species.
"I don't think it's the ultimate solution, but I think it's one tool to provide a better picture of where the whales are and hopefully to develop management strategies to avoid striking," he said. "Right now, we know where the ships are, but we don't know where the whales are."
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