Studying Marine Mammals Using Autonomous Acoustic Technology

Now that this approach has been demonstrated to work effectively we are hoping to operationalize this technology and integrate it along side conventional aerial and vessel based survey methods. This approach, though reliant on the animals calling, is both mobile and actively listening around the clock. It therefore has a high likelihood of detecting species within its detection range. This technology provides a great complement to conventional methods and should enable information on presence and distribution of baleen whales to be collected in areas, such as the Western Atlantic, and at times of year, such as the winter time, when conventional approaches are limited. This technology not only helps to address NOAA's monitoring and mitigation goals, but is also a valuable tool for addressing the data requirements of other federal agencies.