213 Safeguarding Habitats and Wildlife Researchers at the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab used GIS to analyze and connect all the visual and acoustic data layers in the context of location. Plane and boat surveys provided data on whale locations, while hydrophones captured right whale calls. The hydrophone recordings offered a new way to validate the visual findings and assess the accuracy of the density model. In addition to visual and acoustic data, Roberts and his colleagues considered ocean currents, surface temperature, and chlorophyll concentrations monitored via satellite. Real-time measurements of these variables strengthened predictions about whale distribution. For example, where chlorophyll levels are higher, researchers expect to see more right whales. That’s because chlorophyll The model of North Atlantic right whale density can be viewed online and compared to other species. the electronic tagging of more than a few animals is costly and invasive. Halpin and his colleagues relied on the combined efforts of the science community to survey the population. Leading a collaboration of 11 organizations, the researchers compiled survey data collected via aircraft and ships along the entire eastern US coastline during a 17-year span. Researchers also collected acoustic data from 500 underwater microphones, known as hydrophones, that NOAA installed as part of the Right Whale Listening Network starting in 2004. The passive acoustic sensors help find whales when they can’t be seen. In addition, numerous federal, state, and private organizations shared their data, including NOAA Fisheries and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
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