Endangered Right Whales Benefit from Satellite Data
Satellites provide critical data that helps us monitor and protect our planet – including our ecosystems and wildlife. The Government of Canada is turning to the space sector to harness this unique data to further protect endangered North Atlantic right whales.
"Satellite data is a critical and powerful tool bringing innovative solutions to the many challenges on Earth. By bringing together the top Canadian minds and satellite data, the smartWhales initiative will explore new techniques to further detect, monitor, and ultimately protect the North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters."
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Under the smartWhales initiative, the Government of Canada is investing $5.3 million in five companies to advance innovative solutions that could enhance Canada's ability to detect and monitor the presence of these endangered right whales in Canadian waters and predict their movements. smartWhales is another example of actions the Government of Canada is taking to try to reduce the risk of right whale entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels – the two main threats they face.
The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) is leading smartWhales in collaboration with Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Transport Canada. It is the first federal interdepartmental initiative that funds research and development projects that leverage satellite data to help protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale. It also supports Canada's Space Strategy, which seeks to ensure Canada's leadership in acquiring and using space-based data to support science excellence and economic benefits.
Over the next three years, the five selected projects will mobilize more than 80 highly qualified individuals, and support Canada's economic recovery. To fuel innovation and share knowledge and expertise, each company has built a team of experts, including collaborators from academia and non-governmental organizations, to carry out their projects.
"Satellite data is a critical and powerful tool bringing innovative solutions to the many challenges on Earth. By bringing together the top Canadian minds and satellite data, the smartWhales initiative will explore new techniques to further detect, monitor, and ultimately protect the North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters," said the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
"The North Atlantic right whale is endangered and we must take every step possible to save them. The smartWhales initiative is investing in innovative companies and projects that will enhance our ability to detect and monitor these whales, helping protect them against vessel collisions and fishing gear entanglements in our waters," said The Honourable Bernadette Jordan, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard. "By working together, we can drive growth in our ocean economy while setting these whales on a path to recovery."
(Source: Canadian Space Agency news release. Public Domain image from file)