A North Atlantic right whale detection program in the Gulf of St. Lawrence is expanding.
Officials announced that a third underwater robot called a glider will be added this summer.
The Robots4Whales program monitors right whales in near real-time in the gulf’s shipping lanes.
It is a high-traffic route for vessels entering Canadian ports and a major area for commercial fisheries.
Officials said the gliders help protect the endangered whales while reducing the number of precautionary slowdowns for vessels.
At least 15 right whales have died form vessel strikes in Canadian and U.S. waters since January 2017, and at least 40 mortalities have occurred from all causes in that time.
The program is a partnership between the University of New Brunswick, the Ocean Tracking Network, Transport Canda, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
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