Online Features
World Sea Turtle Day
World Sea Turtle Day is June 16, the closing day of NOAA’s World Sea Turtle Week.
Among sea turtle conservation efforts is the work of the New York Marine Rescue Center (NYMRC), the state’s only marine mammal and sea turtle rehabilitation facility, which is leading critical efforts to rescue, rehabilitate, and release endangered marine life. In partnership with Canon U.S.A., NYMRC uses satellite tracking to monitor rehabilitated sea turtles and seals, collecting vital data on their migration, dive patterns, and ocean health.
But the impact goes beyond science. Together, NYMRC and Canon have launched a hands-on marine science lecture series for middle school students, featuring expert talks, fieldwork, a beach cleanup, and a seal or turtle release. Students write stories about their rescued animals, which Canon prints as books, with the proceeds supporting NYMRC. The initiative fosters youth environmental stewardship and showcases the power of corporate-community collaboration.
Over the past three decades, NYMRC has rescued and rehabilitated more than 3,900 marine animals, including 119 sea turtles, 762 seals, and seven cetaceans.
Apply: StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator
The StartBlue Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program at UC San Diego is now accepting applications. The program is designed to launch and scale the latest ocean-based scientific research into actionable, commercially viable solutions from early-stage to small and medium ocean-based startups across the United States.
The deadline to apply for this year’s cohort is July 31, 2025.
This immersive four-month program combines the entrepreneurial expertise, training, and leadership of the Rady School of Management with the ocean expertise, technical development resources, and innovation of Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
The program welcomes applications from innovative startups developing an ocean/freshwater technology, product, or service that supports the economic growth, maritime security, coastal resilience, and resource management needs of the U.S. and the blue economy.
Eligible startups will be accepted into one of two tracks: “Launch” for early-stage startups and “Scale” for later-stage startups.
Kongsberg Unveils Real-Time Emissions Monitoring System
Kongsberg Maritime has launched a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System (CEMS) to provide real-time exhaust emissions data for shipowners and operators. The system helps owners and operators monitor and control vessel emissions – supporting compliance with increasingly stringent environmental regulations – as well as identify opportunities for operational improvements and cost savings.
It uses sensor technology to provide accurate and continuous measurement of key greenhouse gases, including CO₂, CH₄, SOx, NOx, and CO. According to the global marine technology company, unlike traditional calculation methods based on fuel consumption monitoring, its CEMS offers a comprehensive and real-time analysis of exhaust emissions from all combustion sources, allowing informed decision-making for decarbonization strategies.
“Shipowners need to comply with upcoming regulations that are tightening, year by year. The key to future proofing vessels is emissions monitoring, and Kongsberg CEMS delivers the reliable data from sensor to cloud that our clients demand,” said Randi Østern, senior project manager at Kongsberg.
It is fully integrated with Kongsberg’s K-Chief vessel automation system, which automates emissions data through a unified interface, while the modular design of CEMS ensures easy installation on both existing vessels and newbuilds. Integration with K-Chief also means diagnostic support can be done remotely with full cybersecurity protocols in place.
In February 2025, Kongsberg Maritime revealed a range of innovative methods designed to industrialize the transportation and installation (T&I) of floating offshore wind turbines.
US Center for Maritime Innovation Online
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) has announced that the MARAD-supported U.S. Center for Maritime Innovation website is now live at: www.usmci.org
The center and its secretariat, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), will promote the study, research, development, assessment, and deployment of emerging marine technologies and practices related to the maritime transportation system. It will be critical for engaging industry, academia, government, and other stakeholders in setting and executing multi-year research priorities that drive innovation in support of the Trump Administration’s priorities for restoring America’s maritime dominance.
The website facilitates the dissemination of information and communication with the U.S. shipping community regarding activities associated with maritime innovation projects.
June 20: Opening of Maritime 3D Printing Hub
On June 20, the Maritime Application Center (MAC) will hold an opening event in Delft in the Netherlands to introduce the dedicated R&D hub that will advance maritime applications through large-format additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. The MAC will be a catalyst for innovation, driving the adoption and development of microfactories tailored to the maritime industry.
The maritime sector is under increasing pressure to adopt more efficient, customizable and sustainable solutions—challenges that traditional manufacturing methods struggle to meet. The MAC bridges this gap by developing applications and technology that push the industry forward.
US Navy Tests NORBIT Sonars
U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division (NSWC PCD) and NORBIT have successfully conducted operations involving NORBIT’s GuardPoint 70 and GuardPoint 100 intruder detection sonars.
As underwater threats continue to evolve toward more use of underwater drones, including AUVs of all sizes, NORBIT sonars were tasked accordingly. Over the weeks-long testing, NORBIT sonars successfully detected and tracked multiple AUV form factors through many range and depth scenarios. With the GuardPoint systems deployed, data were recorded and used under the conditions of the recent five-year extension to a cooperative research and development agreement between both parties.
Climate Trends in the Subsea Cable Industry
Projected rates of sea level rise and elevation change at cable landing stations by 2052. A: Sea level rise under SSP1–2.6 scenario. B: Sea level rise under SSP5–8.5 scenario (Clare et al, 2023).
By Rebecca Firth
Telecommunication and electrical service providers use subsea telecommunication cables to transmit data and power between landmasses separated by bodies of water. The entirety of a submarine telecommunication or power cable system is exposed to the potential hazards associated with climate change.
A subsea telecommunication cable system comprises two or more cable landing stations connected by a fiber-optic cable. The cable landing stations house equipment such as routers, switches and power feed. The fiber-optic cable may incorporate branching units that allow a cable to serve multiple landing points and repeaters that boost transmitted signals.
Subsea power cables commonly carry high-voltage direct current for long-distance transmission. Cable landing stations are located close to existing electrical substations or grid connection points to integrate power from the subsea cable efficiently into the regional or national electrical grid.
Impacts of Sea Level Rise and Storms
Sea level rise is a significant consequence of climate change, primarily driven by two factors: thermal expansion of seawater and the melting of ice sheets and glaciers. Between 2006 and 2015, the rate of global mean sea level rise was 8 mm per year, which is 2.5 times the rate for the period between 1901 and 1990 (1.4 mm per year).
Clare et al (2023) assessed the projected sea level by 2052 (over a 30-year operational life of a cable system) at cable landing stations, estimating that the rate of sea level rise is not geographically uniform. Moreover, within 100 years under the SSP1–2.6 scenario (warming to 1.5 to 2° C above pre-industrial levels), more than 50 percent of cable landfall locations are projected to experience more than 500 mm of sea level rise compared to 97 percent under the SSP5–8.5 scenario (warming exceeding 4° C above pre-industrial levels).
The majority of cable landing stations are located near tidally active regions and terminate at colocation facilities and points of presence that are designed to be weather and water resistant. However, they are not designed to be surrounded by or submerged in water. Durairajan et al (2018) investigated the impacts of sea level rise on terrestrial network infrastructure in the U.S., concluding that projected sea level rise by 2030 may immerse thousands of kilometers of terrestrial cable not designed to be submerged in water. The potential effects of tidal inundation include physical damage and corrosion, leading to signal loss. In addition, buried cables will be exposed continuously to these threats, and cables deployed over the past 20 years will be particularly vulnerable to damage due to the age of seals and cladding.
The risk of inundation increases in areas where there is a higher likelihood of storm surges. For example, in the Gulf of Mexico, it is anticipated that a 1-in-100-year storm surge may become a 1-in-30-year event by the end of the 21st century. At present, 4.1 percent of cable landing stations could be inundated by 1-in-100-year events, which increases to 7 percent by 2122 in the SSP5–8.5 scenario (Clare et al, 2023).
Hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones are also intensifying due to warmer oceans and shifting atmospheric conditions that promote wetter and more destructive storms.
In September 2017, Hurricane Irma caused widespread disruption to telecommunications services across the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast, leaving millions cut off by inundated terrestrial cables. Subsea cables connecting Florida to the Caribbean islands were damaged, disrupting connectivity to the British Virgin Islands, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Typhoon Morakot, which struck in August 2009, caused extreme river discharge that led to significant damage to subsea cables connecting Taiwan to Guam and other parts of Asia. Subsea cables were damaged when debris-charged river waters plummeted to the seabed and down Gaoping Canyon. A second, more damaging sediment density flow arose three days later when river levels were near normal, damaging cables down to water depths beyond 4,000 m.
Projected shoreline change at beaches where climate-driven erosion is predicted to occur by 2100 under SSP5–8.5 scenario, based on median predicted values in Vousdoukas et al (2020).
Erosion
Erosion is another climate factor that puts subsea cables at risk. The severity depends upon the weather, wave climate, nearshore bathymetry, coastal topography, sediment supply, sea level rise and the presence of coastal ice.
Under the SSP5–8.5 scenario, the global median of predicted shoreline retreat is 128 m by 2100. Approximately 15 percent of the world’s sandy coastlines could experience severe (>100 m) erosion by 2050, escalating to 35 to 50 percent by 2100. Subsea cables on the continental shelf traveling to shore can be at risk where erosion exposes them to currents and waves.
For example, in 2012, Hurricane Sandy triggered considerable erosion, with numerous beaches and dunes losing up to 6 m vertical height, which permitted waves to travel further inland. Global Marine Systems conducted a site visit to Long Island, New York, one week following Hurricane Sandy making landfall. Hurricane Sandy caused severe erosion of beach sand and significantly changed the local beach profile. The lower shore dropped. At the top of the beach, near the boardwalk, the beach level was higher than normal, where sand had been driven up the beach by the large storm surge.
Two open plots of land were designated to store the sand washed inland during the hurricane, called “Mount Sandy” by the locals. The aftermath of this massive sand displacement reduced the sediment cover over subsea cables and pipes buried on the beach. Extensive beach nourishment was required, which involved the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers pumping millions of cubic yards of sand to restore the beach.
“Mount Sandy,” the pile of sand washed inland by the hurricane on Long Island in 2012. (Credit: Global Marine Systems)
Pipe exposed due to massive sand displacement on Long Island Beach during Hurricane Sandy. (Credit: Global Marine Systems)
Coastal permafrost erosion is another risk, affecting more than 30 percent of Earth’s coastlines situated in Arctic regions. Over the period of 1950 to 2000, the mean coastal permafrost change rate was -0.5 m a year across the Arctic. As permafrost thaws, the shoreline weakens and becomes less stable, leading to loss of coastline. Sea ice acts as a protective barrier, reducing the impacts of waves and storms, but as Arctic sea ice cover declines, coastal retreat is amplified. Consequently, permafrost thaw and coastal erosion may compromise the stability of subsea cables coming to land on Arctic coasts.
A Shifting Fishing Industry
In Europe, as sea temperatures rise, many fish species that prefer warmer waters are migrating up to the North Sea, a trend called “tropicalization.” Species such as sea bass, red mullet and John Dory, which were once more common in southern European waters, are increasingly being found in the North Sea. These species are thriving in the warmer conditions, leading to shifts in the ecosystem and causing fishing fleets to follow.
This trend is expected worldwide and can bring fishing activities closer to where submarine cables are laid. Increased fishing in new regions can result in heightened risks of cable damage from trawling, especially in areas where deep-sea trawling or other high-risk fishing methods may not have been prevalent before. Cables in these areas become vulnerable to anchor drags, net entanglements and other gear impacts, which can sever or displace cables.
Coldwater species such as cod, haddock and plaice are struggling with rising temperatures. For example, the North Sea is warming faster than many other marine regions, and this is driving some coldwater species to deeper, cooler waters or further north toward the Arctic Circle.
Cod populations, which have been central to North Sea fisheries, are moving to cooler regions, and this shift affects their abundance and reproduction rates, making it harder for fisheries to maintain sustainable catches.
Furthermore, submarine cables in deeper waters may become more exposed to new fishing pressures, particularly from larger vessels and more intensive fishing operations, resulting in a higher likelihood of cable strikes.
New Shipping Routes
Climate change is opening up new shipping routes in the Arctic as ice melts, which has significant implications for submarine cables and global data infrastructure.
The Northern Sea Route that runs along the Russian Arctic coast is becoming more navigable as ice melts earlier and forms later in the year, providing a shorter path between Europe and Asia. The Northwest Passage traversing the Canadian Arctic archipelago is also becoming more accessible, offering another potential path between the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. As more vessels travel through Arctic waters, there is a higher risk of cables being damaged by ship anchors or fishing activities in high latitudes. As traffic increases, the potential for accidents rises.
Monitoring the life cycle and extent of the sea ice will be necessary throughout the life of a cable system. If the present trends of decreasing sea ice persist, cables in shallow water will be increasingly prone to abrasion. Additionally, ice scouring caused by the keels on multiyear ice is a commonly cited risk to cables. Ice scour from icebergs or multiyear sea ice occurs when they ground on the seabed and gouge out the sediments. Ice gouges have been found to occur in water depths up to 70 m and can range in incision depth up to 5.5 m.
Mitigation and Adaptation
The International Cable Protection Committee (ICPC) published a recent paper on climate change stating that “the global climate has been and will likely continue warming at an unprecedented rate as a result of human-induced greenhouse gas emissions.”
The ICPC commented further at a consultative meeting of the United Nations on sea level rise and its impacts: “It is critical that sea level rise and climate change be considered in future route and landing station planning, as well as assessing the risk posed to existing systems.”
Current mitigation and adaption strategies to protect against the impacts of climate change include: increased armoring and/or cable burial protection at shore-ends where erosion is increasing; liaising with fishermen, route clearance of discarded fishing gear, and use of more resistant cable; avoiding low-lying areas for beach manholes and cable landing stations; learning local environmental conditions and historic events; and geographical information system (GIS) analysis using various geospatial data sets incorporated into desktop studies to identify optimal routes and landing points.
Projections of climate drivers known to damage cables as discussed in the ICPC paper are on the rise, implying that cables will likely be exposed to more hazardous conditions. Where achievable, resilient cable routing should avoid submarine canyons and channels subject to turbidity currents and other sediment flows.
This particularly applies in regions exposed to cyclones. Additionally, establishing redundant paths in the design of routes to allow for alternative channels if a primary cable is damaged would help to maintain connectivity and reduce potential service disruptions.
To appropriately evaluate the impact of climate-driven changes, it is critical to verify site-specific environmental conditions. In particular, coastal erosion is determined not solely by ocean and atmospheric conditions but also by local morphology, substrate, and human-built coastal structures. The rates at which erosion may occur at cable landing stations (and along their shore approaches) should be calculated to inform how erosion may change over the design life of a cable system.
Cable technology advances may be required to address Arctic-specific challenges, such as more durable, ice-resistant materials and smart cable systems that can monitor conditions and automatically report damage or interruptions.
Given shifting fishing patterns, submarine cable operators may need to adapt their protection measures. These could include increasing the burial depth of cables in regions now more exposed to fishing activity, reinforcing them with armoring in higher-risk areas, and utilizing deepwater areas with less fishing activity. As fish populations migrate, tensions could increase between the fishing industry and cable operators. Collaborative management strategies could mitigate risks, such as information sharing on cable locations and fishing routes and creating policies that balance the interests of both sectors.
Conclusion
The impacts of climate change will be diverse worldwide, and these changes are already being felt. The subsea cable industry is embracing numerous mitigation and adaptation strategies. Cable routes should be developed based on the analysis of local conditions, and both short-term events and long-term impacts should be considered.
As cable routes traverse higher latitudes, there is a risk of new hazards. Multiple geospatial data sets should be integrated, and future routing should consider oceanographic, atmospheric, and geological components on a case-by-case basis. Being mindful of the current and anticipated challenges is key for building resilient global communications and power networks.
Rebecca Firth is a route engineer and project assistant at OceanIQ.
Reviving the MIRs: Russia’s Famed Deep Manned Submersibles
MIR-1 and MIR-2 were transported aboard the RV Akademik Mstislav Keldysh for various dives around the world over 24 years.
By Dr. Anatoly M. Sagalevich
The deep manned submersibles MIR-1 and MIR-2 were created by the Finnish company Rauma-Repola by the engineering group headed by myself and the Russian scientist Dr. Igor Mikhaltsev. The head of the Finnish group Sauli Ruohonen also made a great personal contribution to the construction of the MIRs.
The vehicles’ high technical and scientific level was confirmed by 24 years of intensive use. Despite major changes in the state structure of Russia, the MIRs were operated practically without any breaks, thanks to international partnerships. For example, joint expeditions on the RV Akademik Mstislav Keldysh with the MIRs on board were organized together with the National Geographic Society, NOAA, and universities from the U.S., England, Germany, and other countries.
Prominent figures of the international underwater community participated in MIR dives to the Titanic, the German warship Bismarck, and hydrothermal fields in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Don Walsh, an oceanographer who was the first to reach the deepest part of the ocean (with Jacques Piccard); oceanographer and explorer Sylvia Earle; oceanographer Peter Rona; biologist Shirley Pomponi; photographer Emory Kristof (who was on the expedition that discovered the Titanic); and other luminaries in ocean research and exploration made dives in the MIRs to various sites throughout the ocean.
Hydrothermal Discoveries
The MIRs have been instrumental in several discoveries. Scientific dives on the vehicles resulted in the discovery of 23 hydrothermal fields in the global ocean, including the underwater volcano Piipa in the Bering Sea and the methane-rich Haakon Mosby mud volcano in Arctic deepwater. Deep hydrothermal circulation in the ocean crust was discovered in the Logatchev field at 14°45’ N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge via MIR-1 with the crew of geologist Dr. Yury Bogdanov and myself. This circulation comprises high-temperature fluid that is formed in the deep layers of ocean crust, practically on the border with the mantle. Serpentinite rocks were found near black smokers on the seafloor at 3,100-m depth.
Russian scientists discovered tens of new species of animals in hydrothermal fields found by the MIRs, types of life that are based on chemosynthesis. Big deposits of sulfide ores in the Atlantic and Pacific were investigated. The approximate volume of the deposits was measured, and chemical analyses were conducted of samples that were lifted by the MIRs from the bottom of the sea. Along the Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse, the largest hydrothermal body on the ocean bed was discovered: the MIR zone, containing millions of tons of sulfide ores. This discovery was achieved together with Peter Rona, who was part of Rutgers University, during a dive in MIR-1.
Don Walsh, Anatoly Sagalevich and Alfred McLaren before a dive to the Rainbow hydrothermal field on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
Pioneering Cinema
The MIRs were integral to the pioneering cinematic work of filming deep-ocean images for the IMAX documentary “Titanica” and the Hollywood picture “Titanic,” plus four more films with the director James Cameron.
James Cameron conducted six expeditions with the MIRs: three of the Titanic, one of the Bismarck, and two of hydrothermal fields in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. In each expedition, technical innovations were implemented, such as detailed observation of the Titanic’s interior using mini-ROVs that were controlled from pilot cabins in the MIRs via fiber-optic cable. A live TV broadcast from the Titanic was conducted with Cameron using the MIR submersibles, with the world watching the show on the Discovery Channel.
Historic Work
The MIRs operated on missions to the sunken nuclear submarines Komsomolets and Kursk that enabled decision making for the conservation of the Komsomolets and for the lifting of the Kursk from the bottom of the ocean.
The MIRs provided vehicles for operations on the deepest military submarine wreck, the Japanese I-52, which sunk in the Atlantic at 5,430-m depth in 1944, as well as on a deep wooden wreck near The Bahamas at 4,700 m. (Both expeditions were done with private American companies.)
Historic work was done using the MIRs at the geographical North Pole under the ice at a depth of 4,300 m. This was considered the discovery of “the real North Pole,” with the installation of Russia’s flag on the seafloor to commemorate the find.
The mini-ROV GNOM.
How to Revive the MIRs
The RV Akademik Mstislav Keldysh with the two MIRs on board enabled a truly international deep-ocean research complex and provided a wide spectrum of work at great depths.
Unfortunately, in 2011, the MIRs stopped operations, despite the fact that they were in good shape and could have continued to dive for tens of years.
There is a push to rehabilitate the MIR submersibles for scientific research and technical operations, particularly at ocean rift zones and hydrothermal vents on the seafloor, which are the most active and interesting sites for science.
Several steps are required to restore the MIRs to working condition. First, the power block of the submersibles must be changed. Originally, nickel-cadmium batteries with a total power of 100 kWh were used. They were big and heavy but reliable, providing underwater power up to 24 hr., including for scientific and navigational equipment. The redesign would use lithium-ion batteries with the same power level. This would reduce the weight of the vehicles and allow for an increase in payload. The next step would be full disassembly of the MIRs: updating the systems and testing the main and ballast spheres in high-pressure chambers. Following this would be reassembly and testing of the vehicles in the lab. Finally, sea trials in shallow water and then at depth will be conducted.
Anticipated total time for rehabilitating the MIRs would be two to three years. The mini-ROV GNOM, which was developed at Russia’s Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, will be tailored to operate at maximum ocean depth (11,000 m).
We have applied for financing of this project, with the hope that we will be able to begin technical work in the second half of this year. The real adventure would then begin in 2027/2028.
We seek support from the international underwater community. If you are interested in being a part of this project, please reach out to: sagalev38@gmail.com.
Depiction of the basic operating framework of the proposed deep manned submersibles (DMS) revival. The mini-ROV GNOM would be tethered to the MIR in the ultra-abyssal.
Acknowledgments
This work was completed on state assignment No. FMWE-2024-0026.
How to Reduce Whale Ship Strikes
By Matthew Zimmerman
Whales have fascinated humanity for millennia, inspiring myths, music and maritime culture. Anyone who has had the rare opportunity to witness these majestic creatures up close knows that it’s an awe-inspiring and deeply emotional experience. However, a number of whale species are shockingly close to the brink of extinction, and ship strikes are a leading cause.
Ship strikes—when vessels collide with whales—pose a significant threat to these animals and are one of the two leading causes of death for great whales. These incidents can be fatal, especially when large commercial vessels or yachts collide with whales resting or surfacing for air. Even non-lethal encounters often result in injuries that compromise the whales’ ability to feed, migrate or reproduce—factors that can still lead to death indirectly.
With only about 370 animals remaining and fewer than 70 breeding females, the North Atlantic right whales capture a lot of the public’s attention in the U.S. when it comes to species at risk of extinction. For these whales, ship strikes account for the plurality of their deaths over the last seven years.
However, this issue is not limited to that species. We’ve already hunted the Atlantic gray whale to extinction, and only about 300 Western gray whales remain. Furthermore, in the Eastern Mediterranean, sperm whales number between 200 and 250, with ship strikes also their leading cause of death.
Beyond the emotional and ethical implications, the ecological impact of losing whales is profound. Whales play an integral role in maintaining healthy global ecosystems and helping to regulate climate systems.
The Role of Whales in Ecological Processes
Phytoplankton are microscopic marine algae that serve as the foundation of the marine food web. They are responsible for producing about 50 percent of the Earth’s oxygen, and they absorb an estimated third of human-generated carbon dioxide. “Whale pump” is the name of the process that describes how whales feed at depth and defecate near the surface, releasing nutrients vital for phytoplankton growth. Much of the public isn’t aware of how critical phytoplankton are to all life on Earth and how essential whales are in supporting phytoplankton.
Another ecological process coupled to whales is the “whale conveyor belt,” which refers to the horizontal transfer of nutrients across vast distances as whales migrate between feeding and breeding grounds. This redistribution fertilizes nutrient-poor waters, boosting productivity across diverse marine ecosystems and helping sustain commercially valuable fish species.
Even after death, whales contribute to the marine environment through “whale fall” events. When a whale dies and its carcass sinks to the ocean floor, it delivers an enormous amount of organic material to deep-sea ecosystems. This serves as a long-term food source for a wide range of marine life and facilitates carbon sequestration, as the carbon locked within the whale’s biomass is deposited into ocean sediments for hundreds or even thousands of years.
If global whale populations were restored to pre-industrial levels, the benefits would be immense. Increased whale populations would amplify the whale pump and conveyor belt effects, promoting more phytoplankton growth and enhancing oxygen production and carbon capture. A thriving whale population would improve biodiversity, bolster fisheries, stabilize ocean ecosystems, and strengthen our planet’s resilience to climate change.
Humpback whale suffering ship strike wounds in Hawaii. (Credit: NOAA, taken under NOAA HIHWNMS, MMHSRP Permit #932-1489)
Vessel Strike Mitigation
The maritime community is not blind to this crisis. Existing mitigation strategies primarily rely on vessel routing changes and speed reductions. For instance, shifting shipping lanes away from high-risk zones—such as the Eastern Mediterranean, where the MSC Group rerouted to protect sperm whales—has proven effective.
Speed reduction is another widely promoted tactic. Slower-moving ships reduce the probability and severity of collisions, giving whales and crew more time to react.
Yet, these methods have limits: Not all waters are monitored, and not all vessels comply with routing advisories or voluntary speed limits.
Over the past few years, above-water camera systems have grown in popularity, and when coupled with AI-driven image processing, they can provide automated detection of whale spouts and breaches in suitable conditions. However, whales spend the majority of their time below the water. So, above-water camera systems can only catch a glimpse during the brief periods that whales break the surface. This is where underwater technology becomes crucial.
Underwater sensors such as 3D forward-looking sonars (3D-FLS) are a clear complement to above-water sensors. When coupled with camera systems, they provide vessels with an even more robust risk reduction system.
FarSounder’s Argos 3D-FLS technology bridges this critical detection gap. Unlike above-water systems, Argos sonars continually scan the water column ahead of the vessel, offering dynamic real-time images of objects up to 1,000 m away (more than half a nautical mile).
FarSounder’s range of 3D-FLS products have been installed on a variety of vessel types, including USVs, naval and coast guard vessels, icebreakers, research vessels, yachts, and cruise ships. These systems can detect obstacles not visible at the surface, such as whales, rocks, corals, ice and containers at navigationally significant ranges.
The original motivations of FarSounder’s founding team over 24 years ago were environmental: How can we help vessels to avoid hitting rocks, thus preventing oil spills, and how can we help vessels not to hit whales?
Therefore, it is important that FarSounder’s systems are designed not only with the safety of the vessel in mind but also the safety of the marine environment. All sonar signals are not the same, and those transmitted by FarSounder sonars are safe for the whales and the environment. The FarSounder engineering team has followed the strict guidelines established by the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to prevent acoustic harassment of marine mammals. Regular internal reviews are conducted, and participation in industry-wide discussions takes place to ensure products align with best practices for marine environmental stewardship. This commitment reflects our guiding principle that protecting marine life must be a foundational element of maritime innovation.
When paired with above-water systems and included in a vessel’s voyage planning, the sonar becomes a key layer in a multifaceted whale protection strategy. It’s a tool not only for collision avoidance but for more responsible and informed vessel operations around the world.
Temporary pole mount deployment of Argos 1000 sonar installed aboard the MV Encourager during a whale research project. (Credit: FarSounder)
Citizen Science
Mitigating whale strikes isn’t just the responsibility of governments and conservation agencies. Everyone in the maritime community can play an important role by participating in citizen science initiatives to expand our collective knowledge and response capabilities because, without widespread data, we can’t focus conservation efforts.
One simple way to participate in citizen science is by contributing crowdsourced observations to organizations such as Ocean Wise and Whale Alert. Understanding the value of such widespread observations, FarSounder is committed to contributing to this movement, and the company’s entrée into facilitating crowdsourced data collection began over six years ago by enabling its customers to collect and anonymously share bathymetry (Sea Technology, January 2024). The bathymetry data are passed on to the International Hydrographic Organization’s (IHO) Data Centre for Digital Bathymetry and integrated into Seabed 2030’s efforts to map the entire seafloor of the global ocean.
Last year, FarSounder upgraded its data sharing capabilities with an optional cloud service that is provided at no charge to its customers. This cloud service allows users to anonymously share their collected bathymetry map across the FarSounder fleet and with Seabed 2030. In return, they receive the aggregate map created from all of the FarSounder user contributions.
Adult right whale with calf. (Credit: NMFS, NOAA)
This year, new citizen science capabilities were added to the FarSounder system. A recent software update added a simple interface for logging both whale sightings and floating trash. If users opt-in, these logs are automatically uploaded to FarSounder’s cloud service and will be anonymously passed on to a variety of conservation organizations, including Ocean Wise, Whale Alert, and Eyesea. These systems consolidate public reports with verified sightings from research institutions, expanding the available data used for marine mammal protection.
FarSounder’s crowdsourced bathymetry and observation logging capabilities enable its customers to easily make meaningful contributions without impacting the vessel’s normal operations. Citizen science can turn every ship into a potential research vessel, creating a distributed network of environmental stewards.
Clearly, the installation of below-water sensors such as 3D forward-looking sonar and above-water sensors such as cameras with automatic recognition software provide a great benefit to the vessel on which they are installed. However, when it comes to reducing the risk of whale ship strikes, not every vessel can justify installing such systems. That’s why FarSounder is proud to support the Whale and Vessel Safety Taskforce (WAVS), which is working on a holistic, industry-wide risk reduction strategy.
The WAVS initiative is building an aggregated whale activity database by fusing data from satellite imagery, aerial surveys, citizen science observations, shipboard sensors and government research programs. The data will then be analyzed to find areas of high whale density. The ultimate goal is to feed this intelligence into navigational tools, such as multifunction and ECDIS displays aboard any vessel.
By identifying and broadcasting zones of high whale density, WAVS empowers mariners to make safer routing decisions, even without specialized hardware on board.
The initiative also promotes the integration of whale risk information into standard marine navigation interfaces to improve industry-wide adoption.
FarSounder’s contributions to the taskforce include helping to develop the technical roadmap, including on-ship sensors such as its own 3D-FLS, as well as other sources of whale sightings and outreach for this important initiative.
Through the development process of its products over the past few decades, the FarSounder team has learned a lot about whales and how to operate safely around them. In the overall task of protecting whales, FarSounder understands that not only are technology and data vital, but so is human knowledge. That’s why FarSounder is launching a Whale Spotting and Safe Vessel Operations training course based on everything the team has learned over the years. This class is not a FarSounder product class. Rather, it is an industry topic class, designed for captains, bridge officers and crew. Class topics include: how to spot and identify whales and how to operate vessels safely in areas with whales. The class also covers the basics of whale biology, discusses the threats they face, and how individuals can get involved with various citizen science initiatives.
This course was developed in collaboration with Amy Whitt from Azura, an environmental services company that provides protected species observers for government and commercial projects. Guest lecturers from leading marine science and conservation organizations have also been recruited to help present the materials. Details about the class can be found at: http://www.farsounder.com/whales.
Conclusion
Whale ship strikes are a preventable tragedy. With advances in sonar, integration with camera systems and powerful citizen science tools, we now have the ability to reduce this risk vastly. FarSounder is committed to being part of the solution through its technology products and by contributing to global efforts via training and industry collaboration.
The maritime sectors have both a responsibility and an opportunity to lead. By adopting tools such as 3D-FLS, contributing to WAVS, participating in training programs, and logging sightings, every vessel can become a protector of marine life.
Because saving whales isn’t just good for the ocean— it’s good for the planet and all mariners.
