JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Over the past seven years, 41 North Atlantic right whales have been killed, with vessel strikes being the leading cause of death.
The critically endangered species has fewer than 350 individuals remaining, including less than 100 breeding females. Now, a company is taking an innovative approach to prevent further losses.
Maritime Information Systems, based in Maine, is installing specialized devices to alert vessels of right whale sightings. News4JAX anchor and reporter John Asebes recently went to great heights—700 feet, to be exact—to see the technology in action.
A tiny box with a big mission
The device, weighing just 20 pounds, doesn’t look like much at first glance. It’s equipped with an antenna and designed to transmit real-time messages to vessels from shore. This capability is rare, according to Moses Calouro, the CEO of Maritime Information Systems.
“It’s rare, like SpaceX. Only a few other companies in the country actually transmit messages to vessels from shore,” Calouro explained.
The company has installed one of these devices on the News4JAX broadcast tower in Jacksonville, with plans to set up more along the East Coast, including in Cape Cod Bay, New York, New Jersey, and Brunswick.
Tracking the elusive right whale
Right whales present unique challenges for conservation efforts. Unlike other large whales, they lack a dorsal fin, making attaching trackers to their bodies impossible. Instead, aerial surveys or underwater acoustic monitors typically identify right whale locations.
The Maritime Information Systems device bridges this gap by broadcasting alerts to vessels when recent whale sightings occur.
Preventing vessel strikes
Vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements are the leading causes of right whale deaths. Often, captains are unaware of whales in the vicinity until it’s too late.
“What our system does is if there’s a detection, either by an aerial survey or a passive acoustic survey, we can message the vessel directly and immediately,” Calouro explained. “We warn that particular vessel to slow down.”
This real-time notification system gives vessels the critical information they need to avoid collisions.
Installing these devices requires collaboration with organizations such as NOAA, the Coast Guard, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
“We’re working very hard, very closely with these agencies to do this,” Calouro said.
With more installations planned, this high-tech approach could provide a lifeline for the critically endangered right whale, offering hope for one of the world’s most vulnerable marine species.