This webinar originally aired on Wednesday, March 13, 2024.
Presented by: Julika Voss of BioConsult SH and Erich Hoyt of Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force
Description: BioConsult’s new service SPACEWHALE counts whales and other wildlife species from space using satellite imagery. These images are screened and evaluated in a semi-automatic process combining state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and quality assurance by marine mammal experts. SPACEWHALE can answer key questions about how many whales of which species inhabit a sea area of interest and when they occur. This allows study of previously unexplored areas and can help accelerate the designation of Important Marine Mammal Areas (IMMAs) and Marine Protected Areas, provide environmental impact assessments for offshore wind farm operators, and offer an efficient tool for mandatory baseline monitoring of whale populations. This webinar will provide an overview of SPACEWHALE as well as discuss past projects – including a study in New Zealand comparing the results of SPACEWHALE with those of a boat-based survey – and current projects – including data collection in the Indian Ocean where SPACEWHALE will provide baseline data for the implementation of Important Marine Mammal Areas and Marine Protected Areas. Learn more at https://www.spacewhales.de. After SPACEWHALE’s presentation, Erich Hoyt will introduce the IMMA monitoring and implementation work of Whale and Dolphin Conservation and the IUCN Marine Mammal Protected Areas Task Force. He will present the current status of the IMMAs — 75% of the global ocean now examined, with 280 IMMAs and 185 Areas of Interest identified — and how SPACEWHALE can help expand and help implement the IMMA network.
Hosted by: OCTO
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