Toyon Supports NOAA Gray Whale Research with Maritime Infrared Camera Technology
An example of a maritime infrared camera used in ship-strike mitigation.
Marine Observer technology was highlighted in an article by NOAA Fisheries outlining their current research methodologies for monitoring gray whale population abundance. The article, titled “Gray Whale Population Abundance”, explains how scientists are using systems like Marine Observer paired with visual surveys to more accurately conduct gray whale monitoring to track population growth.
“Combining multiple observation methods increases the precision and accuracy of our estimates,” the article states. The article goes on to share how the Marine Observer software for processing video from infrared cameras is used to track whale blows; “The thermal contrasts are distinctive enough that computers can scan the video and count the exhalations automatically. These cameras can detect whales passing at night, when the visual observer cannot.”
Additionally, research by members of the Marine Observer team is cited as a supporting publication with the article: “Automated detection, tracking and counting of gray whales” by Sullivan, Fennell, Perryman and Weller.
Read the entire NOAA article Gray Whale Population Abundance.