{"id":683652,"date":"2024-07-30T06:13:18","date_gmt":"2024-07-30T13:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/?post_type=blog&#038;p=683652"},"modified":"2025-04-01T13:02:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-01T20:02:23","slug":"duke-maps-models-right-whale-movement","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/duke-maps-models-right-whale-movement","title":{"rendered":"Saving the North Atlantic Right Whale: Marine Spatial Planning and Awareness"},"author":671,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"sync_status":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","transcript_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","castos_file_data":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[],"tags":[482772,472641,40532,489762,386602],"industry":[],"esri-blog-category":[478392],"esri_blog_department":[478222,478172],"class_list":["post-683652","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","tag-ai-ml","tag-endangered-species","tag-monitoring","tag-protection","tag-whales","esri-blog-category-ocean","esri_blog_department-conservation-and-environment","esri_blog_department-mapping"],"acf":{"video_source":"","video_start":"","video_stop":"","short_description":"Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab uses data and mapping to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales and other species.","pdf":{"host_remotely":false,"file":"","file_url":""},"flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"<em>A North Atlantic right whale with five dolphins in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary. Photo taken under MMPA permit #17335 by Allison Henry\/NOAA.<\/em>\r\n\r\n&nbsp;"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Right","content":"Researchers at Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab use advanced mapping technologies and extensive data collaboration to protect the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nKey Takeaways\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>A sophisticated density model combines visual, acoustic, and location data to predict the movements of North Atlantic right whales.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>The survival of this endangered species depends on targeted protective measures where the whales are located.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>A sophisticated model of whale behavior guides actions, such as ocean vessel speed and fishing restrictions and protection of whale habitats.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","snippet":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"Even the name of the North Atlantic right whale serves as a reminder of their fraught history with humans. Eighteenth-century whalers considered them to be the \u201cright\u201d whale to hunt due to their slow swimming speeds, tendency to float when killed, and valuable oil and baleen. By the early 1900s, these intelligent and social mammals faced extinction.\r\n\r\nWhile whaling no longer poses a threat, vessel strikes and fishing gear entanglements continue to harm and kill <a href=\"https:\/\/www.iucnredlist.org\/species\/41712\/178589687\">critically endangered North Atlantic right whales<\/a>. Only 350 animals remain, navigating a seasonal migration along the busy coastal waters from Florida to Canada. Right whales must surface to breathe and often feed near the surface, which puts them at greater risk for human-related injury. Their poor eyesight and lack of echolocation abilities add to their peril.\r\n\r\nBecause the survival of the species depends on protecting each whale, marine researchers at <a href=\"https:\/\/mgel.env.duke.edu\/\">Duke University\u2019s Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab<\/a> set out to find and predict the right whales\u2019 movements. Researchers used <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/what-is-gis\/overview\">geographic information system (GIS)<\/a> technology to develop a model showing where whales are likely to be; the resulting map of hotspots helps humans stay out of their way.\r\n\r\n\u201cOur lab focuses on taking data and observations and processing them into information that is useful to decision-makers,\u201d said Patrick Halpin, the founder and director of the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab. Halpin and his team research marine ecology, resource management, and ocean conservation. They build technology tools and data layers that make complex marine ecosystems easier to understand. Their work supports ocean management and governance that helps safeguard marine species.\r\n<h3><strong>Rising Mortality Rates Demand Better Awareness, Decisive Action<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nAfter right whale hunting was banned in 1935, the population rebounded. North Atlantic right whale numbers reached a post-whaling peak of <a href=\"https:\/\/usa.oceana.org\/press-releases\/new-estimate-finds-north-atlantic-right-whale-population-continuing-to-decline\/#:~:text=After whaling of North Atlantic,North Atlantic right whale deaths.\">483 individuals by 2010<\/a>, creeping back toward the thousands of whales that once roamed the East Coast.\r\n\r\nHowever, a concerning behavioral shift has led to a decline.\r\n\r\n\"Things started to change,\" said Jason Roberts, a former software engineer turned scientific researcher at the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab. \"The right whale population leveled off. Suddenly, whales started showing up in places no one had seen them before.\""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":683702,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"&nbsp;\r\n\r\nAs right whale migration and feeding patterns shifted, the animals began entering areas that lacked protections\u2014with deadly consequences.\r\n\r\nA <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.cwf-fcf.org\/index.php\/en\/right-whale-mortality-report\/\">catastrophic 2017 incident in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence<\/a> in Canadian waters killed 12 North Atlantic right whales. Post-mortems revealed many had been hit by vessel strikes or caught in fishing gear entanglements. Investigators found a fleet of crabbing boats had been operating in the gulf at the time.\r\n\r\nScientists at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.noaa.gov\/\">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration<\/a> (NOAA) recognized that the species\u2019s survival hinged on fast and precise intervention. NOAA Fisheries declared an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/national\/marine-life-distress\/2017-2024-north-atlantic-right-whale-unusual-mortality-event\">Unusual Mortality Event<\/a> to mark the significant die-off of the right whale population.\r\n\r\n\"NOAA wanted to do something,\" Roberts said. \"And they needed to have a detailed understanding of where this animal was and where it would be.\"\r\n\r\nSince the peak in 2010, more than 25 percent of the North Atlantic right whale population has been lost, leaving fewer than 70 breeding females.\r\n\r\n\u201cIt\u2019s to the point where, if a single mother or calf is killed by a ship strike or something, then that\u2019s a big blow to the genetic population,\u201d Halpin said.\r\n\r\nAlthough the Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab had an existing density model for right whales, NOAA scientists wanted a more accurate update on whale behavior. A new model, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.int-res.com\/abstracts\/meps\/v732\/p167-192\/\">outlined in a paper published earlier this year<\/a>, incorporates the most current visual surveying and acoustic monitoring data.\r\n<h3><strong>Pooling Data for Better Research and Analysis<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nTo update the density model, lab researchers needed extensive right whale data. Most whales are not visible via satellite, and 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.\r\n\r\nLeading 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.\r\n\r\nResearchers 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\u2019t be seen. In addition, numerous federal, state, and private organizations shared their data, including NOAA Fisheries and the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.boem.gov\/\">Bureau of Ocean Energy Management<\/a>.\r\n\r\nResearchers 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."},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":683722,"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/seamap.env.duke.edu\/models\/mapper\/EC"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"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.\r\n\r\nFor example, where chlorophyll levels are higher, researchers expect to see more right whales. That\u2019s because chlorophyll indicates algae, the food consumed by the tiny crustaceans that make up most of the whale\u2019s diet.\r\n\r\nResearchers theorize that behavioral shifts among North Atlantic right whales can be attributed to warming ocean waters. \u201cThe reason why their patterns have changed is essentially because the distribution of their food has changed,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cAnd the reason why that has changed is because of climate change.\u201d\r\n\r\nIn the past, most of the North Atlantic right whale population spent their summers feeding in and around the Gulf of Maine. However, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalgeographic.com\/environment\/article\/gulf-of-maine-climate-change-photographer\">rising ocean temperatures<\/a> in that area have caused their primary food source to migrate northward into colder waters. This shift has prompted right whales to seek out new summer feeding grounds, exposing them to new threats in the process.\r\n<h3><strong>Predicting Whale Distribution, Directing Safeguards <\/strong><\/h3>\r\nThe right whale density model estimates where whales will be each month on a dynamic map. Decision-makers use the model-driven map the way farmers might use an almanac, guiding current and future actions based on statistical analysis of recorded observations.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe goal of these models is to make maps that show the absolute density of the animals,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cYou can go to a location and predict how many whales you\u2019re going to find there.\u201d"},{"acf_fc_layout":"gallery","gallery_images":[683742,683772,683782]},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"The ability to see across time and space is crucial. The model helps agencies such as NOAA and the National Marine Fisheries Service design and enforce seasonal right whale speed restrictions. Offshore wind energy developers leverage the model to find the best times to build to mitigate threats to vulnerable animals.\r\n\r\n\u201cThe US Navy is required to do environmental impact studies for all their training and exercises,\u201d Halpin said. \u201cThey need to know when and where marine animals are going to be in the water so they can choose times and locations that won\u2019t have a major impact \u2026 There are many, many users of the model.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs more data is collected and technology advances, the lab and its partner organizations continuously update and refine the model.\r\n<h3><strong>Pioneering Research and Persistent Innovation<\/strong><\/h3>\r\nHalpin, Roberts, and their colleagues have built GIS-powered density models for 31 different marine animals. Right whales are among six endangered species being researched and mapped.\r\n\r\nThe lab maintains the publicly available <a href=\"https:\/\/seamap.env.duke.edu\/models\/Duke\/EC\/\">model repository<\/a> and GIS <a href=\"https:\/\/seamap.env.duke.edu\/models\/mapper\/EC\">mapping tool for marine mammal density<\/a>. Scientists and researchers can access this information to understand which areas are important to each species for feeding, giving birth, or another critical purpose. They can also use the tools to determine critical areas for multiple species by layering the data on combined density maps. These stacked maps show species diversity and help identify essential habitat areas for ocean conservation.\r\n\r\nRoberts is eager to take the next step in advancing the Lab\u2019s density models. \u201cWe\u2019re moving to a system where all the data will flow continuously, and the model will update continuously. This is what we\u2019re calling the \u2018near real-time\u2019 modeling system.\u201d\r\n\r\nAs visual, acoustic, and oceanographic data is recorded, a near real-time model will update predictions automatically. If the current model is like a yearly almanac, the near real-time models are like a 10-day weather forecast.\r\n\r\n\u201cYou can look at a radar map of where there are storms in your area,\u201d said Roberts. \u201cWe want to do the same thing with right whales.\u201d\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\r\n\r\nLearn how <a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/about\/science\/initiatives\/ocean-science\">GIS technology is used in ocean science, conservation, exploration, and data collection<\/a>.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;"},{"acf_fc_layout":"sidebar","layout":"standard","image_reference":null,"image_reference_figure":"","spotlight_image":null,"section_title":"","spotlight_name":"","position":"Center","content":"<h2><strong>Using AI to Better Understand Whale Communication<\/strong><\/h2>\r\nWriter W.G. Sebald said humans and animals \u201cregard each other across a gulf of mutual incomprehension.\u201d\r\n\r\nAI may be the bridge that humans use to span this gulf.\r\n\r\nAdvancements in technology are proving fruitful in the effort to better understand Earth\u2019s largest denizens\u2014whales.\r\n\r\nWhale communication is astonishingly complex. A team of marine biologists and computer scientists recently discovered that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2024\/05\/07\/science\/whale-song-alphabet.html\">sperm whales use a phonetic alphabet<\/a>.\r\n\r\nA <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fisheries.noaa.gov\/feature-story\/changing-voices-north-atlantic-right-whales\">study led by researchers at Syracuse University<\/a> found that North Atlantic right whale calls evolve as they age, similar to human voices. Young whale calls come in short, unstructured bursts, like an infant babbling. Adult calls are clearer, longer, and more structured.\r\n\r\nThe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthspecies.org\/\">Earth Species Project<\/a>, a nonprofit dedicated to using AI to decipher nonhuman communication, is currently conducting research on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.earthspecies.org\/what-we-do\/projects\">vocal signaling among endangered beluga whales<\/a>. The project aims to understand the animals\u2019 social structure to reduce human impacts.\r\n\r\nFor researchers like Jason Roberts at Duke University's Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab, the potential of AI is intriguing. By using AI to distinguish whale voices captured by hydrophones, they can unlock new insights about the animals they study and map with GIS.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/en-us\/capabilities\/geoai\/overview\">Combining AI with geospatial tools<\/a> presents a wealth of powerful possibilities for science and analysis, including improved data quality, consistency, and accuracy. When Roberts attended the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium last October, a presenter shared an AI-based algorithm for recognizing whale voices.\r\n\r\n\u201cThey reported better statistics for their algorithm than a more traditional one that doesn\u2019t use AI,\u201d Roberts said. With a better understanding of whale behavior, Roberts and his colleagues can continue to improve and advance their GIS-powered ocean conservation efforts.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, Roberts shared the work of researcher Susan Parks, who was the supervisor of the Syracuse University study about the evolution of right whale calls. Parks is also leading an effort to uncover ways to identify individual whales by their voices.\r\n\r\nCurrently, hydrophone data captures whale calls, letting researchers know the whales were in a specific area. But it\u2019s difficult to distinguish whether calls are from multiple whales or a single whale calling multiple times.\r\n\r\n\u201cIf we could tell from a hydrophone how many whales are there by distinguishing the individuals who were there at the time, that would be super helpful.\u201d Roberts said.","snippet":""}],"references":null},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v25.9 (Yoast SEO v25.9) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Mapping to Save the North Atlantic Right Whale<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Duke University&#039;s Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab uses data and mapping to protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/about\/newsroom\/blog\/duke-maps-models-right-whale-movement\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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