NOAA Monterey Grey Whales: Where it all Begins

A new small scale project made operational by NOAA hints into the the future of global whale population monitoring. 

Wildlife Extra reported on February 20th that new technology counts is aiding NOAA in the the Grey Whale Migration season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration turned to simple cameras visions and boosted their performance with thermal capacity to open  new eyes on the coast 24-7. 

Today there are three of these cameras operating in the US Coast. Simple and relatively low cost technology is eyed for solution. NOAA until today used to perform Grey Whale Migration Season vigilance science strictly the old fashion way -by human eye contact. Today they break into new technology. Cameras backed up with special software allow recognition of Whales emerging. The technology can not only count and identify whales but can perform other impressive tasks as well as never ever take sleep or break time. The data which will be gathered could prove not only of value for whale counting and migration season but serve other purposes and sectors. 

With marine sonar, acoustic and image technology fastly developing and being adapted for scientific uses it is simple stuff to scale up the vision and imagine a world wide system capable of tracking Grey Whales as well as other marine populations. 

“The refined software the team developed can now distinguish between whales, flocks of birds and passing boats,” NOAA signals to a sensible issue. .

Environmental, ecological, human wildlife relationships, insights on illegal fishery, fishery controls, revealing the secrets of large marine migrations, stepping into a world banned due to physical capacities and breaking down the secrets of Ocean Kings -a scaled up system could accomplish that and perhaps throw in much more surprises as it grows. But to the day, only three cameras operate and while it may seem small, they are nevertheless exciting times. 

Grey Whales migrate down the west coast of the US from the summer feeding grounds in the Arctic to the wintering grounds off Baja California Mexico - route fascinating in all pèrspectives. 

Press assure that today this migrative ocean corridor is “being charted in even greater detail thanks to new technology employed by scientists at the US NOAA”. The beautiful costas just south of Monterey Bay is where it all begins, where NOAA set up camp and brought fresh eyes to the issue.

“A whale is this great big motor that takes in a breath of air and holds it inside for a long time,” says Wayne Perryman, a NOAA Fisheries scientist who helped develop the new system. “When it exhales, the air is much warmer than the background, and we can detect that difference very easily, both day and night.”

The thermal imaging cameras are much the same as those used by helicopter police to track criminals at night. What’s most innovative is the software that works with the cameras.

“The biggest challenge was getting the detector to be as accurate as possible without having it get fooled by false alarms,” Dave Weller, the NOAA Fisheries scientist who leads the survey team stated.

Just as Manta rays and many other large marine creatures individual Whales can be identified visually through distinct markings. Upgrades in software and an interconnected system would allow for a follow up of each individual. In relation to underwater tracking visual thermal serves just as well as acoustic and sonar technology. Sonar and acoustic technology could provide information on speed, rates, and other issues. This technology overpasses that of intrusive tagging and marking which interferes in one way or another with ocean organisms. 

Whales are still today a extremely sensible issue. Controversial news on Whales break news constantly. From whale protection to traditional culture meeting new standards to the undeniable fact that most Whales are listed at the IUCN Red List, Whales in this time and age are hot topics. While it is true that Whales have had it wrought in the past due to historical human-ocean relationship scientists today assure that whale studies grow at fascinating rates thanks to protection and conservation programs and policies. 

Like any other giant, time is nothing and passes still for Whales but the world around Whales changes fast. Traditional values, climate change, development, environmental changes, everything which surrounds whales is changing fast. Whale policy must adapt to this changing time and so must scientific tools adapt. 

Whale studies face budget restrictions, new technology does not. Numerous companies out there are working or pàrtnering up in views of the rich ocean sector..Google for example follows this direction moving into Ocean Under Water Views -mapping world corals just as they mapped out the streets of almost every large City of the World.  

For those who love the ocean giants their study and their protection is not a questionable but decision makers may from time to time wonder on the values of protecting ocean giants. Healthy Whale population have proven to keep healthy the entire environment and lead to growth and strengthening of genetic material of fishing stocks. Climate Change Whale adaption opens doors of value for ecological and future modelling perspectives. Finally numerous legal tools national, regional and international end the debate on why yes or why not and respond that Whales are legally protected as so are ocean coast and the natural resources on it. Folks who wrote it out sure understand why.

Red Orbit reported that Grey Whales “are still at risk from ship collisions, entanglement in fishing gear and other hazards”. Also, as the climate changes, scientists are investigating if shrinking sea ice is linked to changes in population or timing of their migrations. The NOAA team is expected their new system to provide more insight than ever into these questions.

NOAA opened transparently imagery of it fresh new eyes for everyone in the World which has internet connection and continues to work its three cameras on Monterey coast. 

Kazu reported “About ten miles south of Carmel, Dave Weller and Lisa Ballance sit looking intently out at the ocean...there’s not a cloud in sight…they’re in a small trailer parked on the edge of a cliff at a NOAA lab”. 

“So we’re here as it starts. We watch the peak numbers go up and then we watch it as they start to decline,” says Dave Weller, a wildlife biologist with NOAA.  “The last day of the count is the February 13th, but these guys (the cameras) will continue to run and that’s a huge part of why were so excited about it.”