Saving the whales: With an app!
Researchers are hoping a new app called WhaleALERT will reduce the number of collisions between ships and whales. This new app can alert shipping operators if whales are nearby.
Environmentalists are concerned that the noise of ships traveling through areas where whales reside can not only harm the mammals, but interfere with their ability to communicate with each another. So the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed the app to help captains avoid whales. It works via buoys that have whale-detecting sensors that send information to smart phones in real time. The app even suggests alternate routes, and provides information on seasonal whale movements through GPS tracking.
Check out the WhaleALERT website here.