Satellites to the rescue of black whales

In recent years, there have been more black whales in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Their presence disrupts the trajectories of fishermen and cruise ships. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has just selected five satellite technologies to mitigate the problem.

Predicting collisions

One of the groups selected by the CSA, engineering giant WSP, has developed a tool to predict the risk of a ship strike on right whales in a given region within the next 12 hours. “We verified that the prediction is good with a five-year archive,” says Patrick Lafrance, vice-president, ecology and environmental impact assessment, at WSP in Canada. The next step is to validate in real time the risk prediction by the model, which uses artificial intelligence, ship traffic data and conditions in the Gulf that are favourable to right whales. Such a risk prediction would make it possible to limit the restriction zones for ships and fishermen.

Copepods

WSP uses, among other things, the oily traces left on the water by copepod shoals, zooplankton that right whales feed on. These spots are visible on satellite photos. WSP worked with university and government researchers, as well as the Danish group DHI Water & Environment, which specializes in modeling aquatic environments. Another technology selected by the ASC, developed by the Quebec firm Actus, models the currents and conditions of the Gulf in 3D. Actus CEO Simon Bélanger of the Université du Québec à Rimouski believes that his technology would make WSP’s model even more efficient.

Managing whales like ships

Three other technologies selected identify whales on satellite images. Currently, their positioning depends on reports from ships, aerial observation campaigns, acoustic terminals and GPS chips on right whales. “The goal is to track more right whales, more often,” explains Laurent Giugni., program officer, Earth observation utilization and services, at the CSA. One of the three technologies, OCIANA, from Nova Scotia-based Global Spatial Technology Solutions, is already being used to track ships. The CSA, which launched the project in 2021, has now completed its mandate. Additional funding, potentially from Transport Canada, would be needed for the testing still needed before operational use.

The ABCs of the Black Whale

The right whale, a species that numbers fewer than 400 individuals, has been migrating north for about ten years, spending the summer in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Since 2018, fishing areas have been closed in the Gulf and speed restrictions have applied to others. Between 2017 and 2019, the deaths of 21 right whales were recorded in the Gulf, but none since. The right whale was almost extinct 100 years ago, but has experienced a slow renaissance, with the population approaching 500 15 years ago.

Pioneers

In 2021, the CSA project was considered a pioneer, according to CSA’s Giugni. He is now involved in a similar, more ambitious project by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). WSP’s Patrick Lafrance also talks about interest from other countries such as Australia and the Caribbean. Michèle Laflamme, manager, Geospatial and Digital Solutions, Earth Sciences and Environment, at WSP in Canada, adds that other divisions of the company are interested in offering this algorithm to their clients. She recently gave a presentation in London. “It could be useful for offshore wind turbines,” says Lafrance.