SIMBA Project (Smart Whale)
Updated: 6 days ago
The SIMBA (Smart Whale) project is a satellite-based modelling project focused on the North Atlantic right whale, using satellite-derived environmental information to improve habitat modelling for the species. The goal of the project is to support modelers by providing data that helps them better understand and predict whale habitat and distribution in the North Atlantic.
The project involves modelling the whale’s preferential habitat by using satellite-derived environmental products. This includes information on the constitution of the ocean such as primary production, chlorophyll, ocean fronts, and other derived products like phenologies and front detection. These datasets are used to feed ecological models that aim to identify where whales are likely to be found during the summer period.
The project was funded by Transport Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans. It ran from 2022 to 2024 and involved collaboration with academia, including two PhD students who worked on the development of the models.
The SIMBA project was developed in response to significant concerns about the North Atlantic right whale population, which is an endangered species with a population of approximately 300 individuals.
The whales spend the summer in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, where there have been fatalities due to boat collisions and entanglement in fishing gear such as lobster and crab lines. As a result, governments implemented measures such as speed restrictions for boats and temporary fishing closures when whales are sighted.
The purpose of the project is to improve understanding of whale ecology so that it is possible to predict whale presence more accurately and better manage fishing zones and shipping activity. Current management practices can lead to fishing closures when whales are detected, but whales do not remain in the same area throughout the season.
The mapping and modelling therefore aim to provide more precise ecological insight to support better decision-making around conservation and fisheries management.
