An encouraging news story from Reuters.

A smart buoy that can “hear” the ocean and monitor climate change is part of a new effort to help endangered whales avoid ship collisions on their journey from Antarctica to the equator.

The buoy was installed in the Gulf of Corcovado, some 1,100 kilometers (684 miles) south of Chile’s capital, in early October and is the first of many planned by the Blue Boat Initiative, a project designed to protect whales and monitor marine ecosystems.

“This is the beginning of a longer road,” said Sonia Espanol, director of the Blue Boat Initiative, adding their hope is to cover the gulf with at least six buoys.

The buoy works by using software called Listening to the Deep Ocean Environment (LIDO), which monitors sounds and uses artificial intelligence to identify sea mammals, their type and location in real-time. It then alerts nearby vessels so they can reduce noise and avoid collisions.

Chile makes use of hi-tech buoys to protect migrating whales