Protecting Endangered Orcas with AI-Powered Acoustic Monitoring

Underwater noise from cargo ships poses a serious threat to the critically endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Salish Sea. This video looks at how acoustic monitoring buoys and AI are being developed to detect whales in real time and help reduce ship noise.

■ The problem of underwater noise
- How ship noise interferes with orca communication and hunting
- Why real-time whale detection is essential

■ An autonomous detection system
- Buoys equipped with hydrophones and edge processors
- Cloud-based AI classification and automatic alerts to mariners

■ Conservation at scale
- Informing ships to slow down when whales are present
- Applying the same approach to marine habitats worldwide

This is a valuable resource for those interested in marine conservation, AI for environmental monitoring, and wildlife protection. Viewers will learn how technology can support endangered species recovery.