An AI-powered whale detection system, WhaleSpotter, is launched in San Francisco Bay to alert ships in real time and reduce the risk of collisions with gray whales. Reports describe how ferries, cargo ships and tankers operate in busy waters where whales may previously have gone unnoticed by mariners, even when a whale surfaces nearby. WhaleSpotter uses cameras and thermal (heat) sensors to scan the bay continuously, including day and night, and is designed to detect whale blows and heat signatures from distances reported up to about 2 nautical miles. When whales are detected, the system sends alerts intended to prompt mariners to slow down or adjust course to avoid the animals. The launch follows concerns about rising whale deaths in the region. One outlet reports that climate change-related food stress is contributing to unusually high numbers of gray whales in the bay, and that ship strikes account for at least 40% of 21 whales found dead in the prior year. Researchers and partners involved in the effort frame the system as part of ongoing work to prevent ship-whale strikes in and around the bay.
AI whale detection network WhaleSpotter begins tracking gray whales in San Francisco Bay
An AI-powered whale detection system, WhaleSpotter, is launched in San Francisco Bay to alert ships in real time and reduce the risk of collisions with gray whales. Reports describe how ferries, cargo...
- An AI whale detection network called WhaleSpotter launches in San Francisco Bay to help prevent ship strikes.
- The system uses cameras and thermal sensors to detect whale blow/heat signatures around the clock.
- It can detect whales at distances reported up to about 2 nautical miles and issues real-time alerts for mariners to slow down or reroute.
- Reports link increased gray whale presence in the bay with food stress attributed to climate change.
- Ship strikes are reported as a major cause of gray whale deaths in the area, accounting for at least 40% of 21 deaths found the previous year.
Researchers from UC Santa Barbara's Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory (BOSL) and local partners in San Francisco have unveiled new technology in their ongoing efforts to prevent whales and oceangoing vessels from colliding in and near the busy San Francisco Bay.
3 months agoSAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Ferries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this wee
3 months agoClimate change is pushing starving grey whales to San Francisco Bay, where ship strikes led to 40% of 21 deathsFerries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night.The system, called WhaleSpotter, scans the bay around the clock for whale blows and heat signatures up to 2 nautical miles away, alerting mariners to slow down or reroute when whales are nearby. Continue reading...
3 months agoFerries, cargo ships and tankers cut through choppy waters in the San Francisco Bay Tuesday as a whale surfaced nearby, its spout barely visible against the white caps. Until now, whales could easily go unnoticed by mariners, but an AI-powered detection network launched this week is designed to track them day and night.
3 months agoClimate change is pushing starving gray whales into the San Francisco Bay in unusual numbers, where ship strikes killed at least 40% of the 21 whales found dead last year
3 months ago
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