Virtual Press Conference & Panel Discussion: Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory-funded Technology to Save Whales from Ship Strikes Along San Francisco’s Coastline

On the heels of a ship strike killing Fran, the most photographed whale in California, Whale Safe will be deployed in collaboration with The Marine Mammal Center to help detect endangered whale presence and track ship speeds to provide data to the shipping industry, public, and government to reduce preventable whale deaths

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 @ 10 AM PT

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Marine Mammal Center & The Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory:

WHAT:

The Marine Mammal Center and The Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory will host a virtual press conference and panel discussion to announce a collaboration to deploy Whale Safe, a technology-based mapping and analysis system, to the San Francisco Bay Area to help prevent whale-ship collisions. Whale deaths from ship strikes have increased over the past decade, with estimates of over 80 endangered whales killed off the West Coast per year.

Last month’s tragic death of Fran, the most photographed whale in California, is the latest example of why Whale Safe is needed off the Northern Californian coast. Whale Safe technology will allow the public, media, government officials, and shipping companies and their vessel captains to go online and in near-real time, monitor ship speeds and whale interactions in Northern California’s coastal waters. In addition to providing an immediate benefit for monitoring ship speeds, the data will also be saved and analyzed by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and The Marine Mammal Center to help inform additional preventative safety recommendations.

The system was developed by the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory and technology partners Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of California Santa Cruz, University of Washington, and Conserve.iO.

Highlights include:

• A look at the innovative technology that utilizes AI-enabled acoustic monitoring systems, a dynamic blue whale habitat model, and whale sightings to reduce and prevent ships from killing whales in the Bay Area. Over 50% of all container ship traffic in the US passes through West Coast ports.
• The technology allows a “school zone for whales” to be created, where whale data is provided and vessel speed limits are implemented, drastically lowering the risk to whales.
• A panel discussion and Q&A.

WHO:

• Maria Brown, Superintendent Greater Farallones and Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries
• Jeff Boehm, Chief External Relations Officer, The Marine Mammal Center
• Doug McCauley, Director, Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
• Kathi George, Director of Field Operations and Response, The Marine Mammal Center
• Claire Martin, Vice President of Sustainability CMA-CGM, the world’s 3^rd largest container shipping company
• Ana Širović, Associate Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

WHEN: September 21 @ 10 AM
Announcement: 10 AM
Panel Discussion: 10:30 AM

PRESS RSVP:

Registration to watch and participate in the virtual event can be found here.

For further press inquiries, please contact Jacob Scott by email ([e-mail]) or phone [phone]).

MEDIA ASSETS:

Press Kit, including graphs, maps, data, and photos, can be found here.

About The Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory

The Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory (previously The Benioff Ocean Initiative) based at the Marine Science Institute at University of California Santa Barbara, is an applied research center that leverages the power of science and technology to create scalable and replicable solutions to pressing ocean health challenges. The Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory collaborates with scientists around the world to address issues such as plastic pollution, endangered species, and climate change. UC Santa Barbara is a leading center of marine research that is committed to using science to promote effective ocean stewardship.

For more information, please visit https://bosl.ucsb.edu/. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter.

About The Marine Mammal Center

The Marine Mammal Center is a global leader in marine mammal health, science and conservation, and is the largest marine mammal hospital in the world. The Center’s teaching hospital and training programs operate globally, with its headquarters in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, part of the National Park Service. Expert teams from the Center travel around the world to work with emerging first responders and has itself rescued more than 24,000 marine mammals from 600 miles of its authorized rescue area of California coastline and the Big Island of Hawai’i. The Center’s mission is to advance global ocean conservation through marine mammal rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education.

For more information, please visit MarineMammalCenter.org. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.