OceanIA aims to reduce biodiversity loss due to collisions with cetaceans, which is the leading non-natural threat to these animals, by developing new technologies. It enhances the presence of marine mammal observers along the route between Tahiti and Moorea, further anticipating collision risks. The Oceania subpopulation of humpback whales, including those in French Polynesia, is listed as “endangered” by the IUCN. To mitigate collision risks, the project is developing a multimodal observation platform at two high-risk collision sites. This system will detect cetaceans and ships within a 2 to 3 km radius in real time using two cameras continuously transmitting images to an artificial intelligence system, which will automatically detect the presence of whales and ships. Captains will be alerted in real time to the presence of whales, thus preventing collisions. In addition to this system, awareness campaigns will be conducted to encourage the use of the WhaleAlert app by sea users and ship owners.
Duration: 20 months
