AI for Good

Chapter 7Using Satellites to Monitor Whales from Space

—Caleb Robinson, Kim Goetz, and Christin Khan

Executive Summary

Climate change and other human impacts challenge biodiversity and put many species at risk of extinction. Some of the most influential of those animals are large marine mammals, like whales, that act as a kind of canary-in-a-coal-mine for the health of the ocean, the quality of its waters, and the impact of human activities such as overfishing. However, because many whale species have large home ranges and can migrate long distances across vast oceans, monitoring these animals is challenging. Technological innovation is increasing the utility of satellite imagery, with very high-resolution satellites holding the promise of identifying species and better understating their presence and distribution in remote locations that are challenging for vessels and aircraft to reach. Here, we describe the development of the collaborative Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Animals (GAIA) initiative and share challenges faced, lessons learned, and a vision for monitoring the abundance and distribution of whales in the future.

Why Is This Important?

This work is important for three reasons. First, while humans have become adept at monitoring easily accessible indicators of environmental change—like temperature, molecular volumes in the atmosphere, and rates of glacial melt—it has been more difficult to monitor the presence and location of larger, top predators, particularly ...