NORFOLK, Va. — Author's note: The video above is on file from a separate story that aired on January 28, 2022.
A logistics company and marine science school deployed a buoy off the coast of Virginia Tuesday to detect and protect endangered whales from vessels in the area.
The acoustic monitoring buoy, developed by CMA CGM and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), is the newest addition to a network along the East Coast to protect critical habitats and migration routes for North Atlantic right whales.
The buoy was placed 33 miles from Norfolk, since the Port of Virginia is one of the busiest in the country, putting ships directly in the path of migrating whales, CMA CGM said.
It will detect each species of whale's unique calls and transmit information to shore every two hours. The technology that WHOI developed can detect, classify and report the sounds of marine mammals close to real-time.
An acoustician will analyze the data to determine which species are present and display the results on an online portal, allowing mariners to know when whales are nearby.
This information will also be used by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)'s Slow Zones for Right Whales, used for speed restrictions along the eastern seaboard when right whales are detected.
The North Atlantic right whale is one of the world’s most endangered large whale species, with an estimate suggesting that fewer than 350 remain, according to the NOAA. These whales migrate seasonally, traveling alone or in small groups.
During spring, summer and into fall, many of these whales can be found in waters off New England and further north into Canadian waters. In fall, some of these whales travel to coastal waters off South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The other buoys in the network are placed along the migration routes, located off the coasts of Cape Hatteras National Seashore, North Carolina; Ocean City, Maryland; Atlantic City, New Jersey; New York City; and Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts.
Another buoy is set to be deployed off the coast of Savannah, Georgia.