Technology System Aims to Protect Whales from Ships
2022-09-29
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1Scientists have developed a technology-powered mapping tool to prevent ships from hitting whales in areas off America's west coast.
2The system is called Whale Safe.
3 It uses equipment placed in the ocean to identify the presence of whales in the surrounding area.
4The tool also records shipping activity and ship speeds.
5The collected data is then sent by satellite to scientists who examine it and seek to provide guidance to ship operators.
6Developers of the system say it produces near real-time information about nearby whale movements.
7Whale Safe has already been operating near ports in southern California.
8It was recently launched to the north in San Francisco Bay.
9There is a problem in the bay with ships hitting whales.
10Last month, wildlife officials reported the latest suspected case.
11A humpback whale washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay with injuries suggesting the animal was killed in a ship strike.
12The Marine Mammal Center near San Francisco said it was the fifth whale to be killed by a ship strike in the area this year.
13Wildlife officials note that the actual number of whales killed by ships is likely much higher because the bodies of the dead animals are rarely discovered.
14Humpback whales visit California to feed in the summer and autumn before migrating south to reproduce off the coast of Mexico.
15They are among the world's most endangered whales.
16An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 remain in the wild.
17The Marine Mammal Center says the main threats facing humpback whales are strikes from ships and getting caught in fishing and waste equipment.
18The Whale Safe system is designed to identify and protect several different species, including humpback, blue, fin and gray whales.
19It uses three methods to do so. First, it uses flotation devices - known as buoys - to record sounds the whales make.
20Second, it uses computer models to process current and historical ocean data to predict where the whales are most likely to be.
21Third, it permits trained observers and citizens to report whale sightings through a mobile app.
22The Whale Safe project is supported by the Marine Mammal Center and the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the University of California Santa Barbara.
23Other organizations and government agencies also cooperate on the project.
24Developers of the system say the expansion of Whale Safe to San Francisco demonstrates that the system can be effectively deployed to additional areas of the United States and the world.
25Officials from the Marine Mammal Center say they have plans to expand the system to other areas where whales face a high risk of being hit by ships.
26These areas include parts of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard.
27Worldwide, such areas include waters near Sri Lanka, Chile, Greece and Spain's Canary Islands.
28Jeff Boehm is a leader of the Marine Mammal Center.
29He said the Whale Safe system combines the latest technology with thoughtful conservation efforts "to create a solution to reduce risk to whales."
30Boehm added, "This is where tech meets Mother Nature for the benefit of marine life."
31Douglas McCauley is director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory.
32He said in a statement that the killing of whales by ship strikes is "an avoidable problem."
33"We can't any longer be passive observers of endangered whales washing ashore along San Francisco's beaches," McCauley said.
34He added, "Whale Safe is an exciting coming together of marine scientists, technologists, conservation organizations, business leaders and government partners to do something about this issue."
35I'm Bryan Lynn.
1Scientists have developed a technology-powered mapping tool to prevent ships from hitting whales in areas off America's west coast. 2The system is called Whale Safe. It uses equipment placed in the ocean to identify the presence of whales in the surrounding area. The tool also records shipping activity and ship speeds. The collected data is then sent by satellite to scientists who examine it and seek to provide guidance to ship operators. 3Developers of the system say it produces near real-time information about nearby whale movements. 4Whale Safe has already been operating near ports in southern California. It was recently launched to the north in San Francisco Bay. 5There is a problem in the bay with ships hitting whales. Last month, wildlife officials reported the latest suspected case. A humpback whale washed ashore in the San Francisco Bay with injuries suggesting the animal was killed in a ship strike. 6The Marine Mammal Center near San Francisco said it was the fifth whale to be killed by a ship strike in the area this year. Wildlife officials note that the actual number of whales killed by ships is likely much higher because the bodies of the dead animals are rarely discovered. 7Humpback whales visit California to feed in the summer and autumn before migrating south to reproduce off the coast of Mexico. They are among the world's most endangered whales. An estimated 35,000 to 40,000 remain in the wild. The Marine Mammal Center says the main threats facing humpback whales are strikes from ships and getting caught in fishing and waste equipment. 8The Whale Safe system is designed to identify and protect several different species, including humpback, blue, fin and gray whales. It uses three methods to do so. First, it uses flotation devices - known as buoys - to record sounds the whales make. Second, it uses computer models to process current and historical ocean data to predict where the whales are most likely to be. Third, it permits trained observers and citizens to report whale sightings through a mobile app. 9The Whale Safe project is supported by the Marine Mammal Center and the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory at the University of California Santa Barbara. Other organizations and government agencies also cooperate on the project. 10Developers of the system say the expansion of Whale Safe to San Francisco demonstrates that the system can be effectively deployed to additional areas of the United States and the world. 11Officials from the Marine Mammal Center say they have plans to expand the system to other areas where whales face a high risk of being hit by ships. These areas include parts of the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. Worldwide, such areas include waters near Sri Lanka, Chile, Greece and Spain's Canary Islands. 12Jeff Boehm is a leader of the Marine Mammal Center. He said the Whale Safe system combines the latest technology with thoughtful conservation efforts "to create a solution to reduce risk to whales." Boehm added, "This is where tech meets Mother Nature for the benefit of marine life." 13Douglas McCauley is director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory. He said in a statement that the killing of whales by ship strikes is "an avoidable problem." 14"We can't any longer be passive observers of endangered whales washing ashore along San Francisco's beaches," McCauley said. He added, "Whale Safe is an exciting coming together of marine scientists, technologists, conservation organizations, business leaders and government partners to do something about this issue." 15I'm Bryan Lynn. 16Bryan Lynn wrote this story, based on reports from the Marine Mammal Center, the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, The Associated Press and Whale Safe. 17__________________________________________________________________ 18Words in This Story 19app - n. a computer program that performs a special function, usually found on mobile phones 20conservation - n. the protection of animals, plants, and natural resources 21conservation - n. a helpful or good effect 22passive - adj. letting things happen without taking specific actions 23______________________________________________________________________ 24What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 25Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.