To move forward in concrete solutions for the conservation of the oceans, on 13 October the Chilean Ministry of the Environment, MERI Foundation and the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech (UPC) inaugurated in the Corcovado Gulf in Chiloé the first smart buoy of The Blue BOAT Initiative, developed by these institutions for more than two years.

The event began with the official launch of the project in the CECREA building in Castro, which belongs to the Ministry of Culture, with the presence of the minister of the Environment, Maisa Rojas; the minister of Science, Technology, Knowledge and Innovation, Silvia Diaz; the executive president of MERI Foundation, Francisca Cortés; and the executive director of MERI Foundation and the scientific leader of The Blue BOAT Initiative, Sonia Español. Also present were Michel André and Mike van der Schaar, director and technical director respectively of the UPC’s Laboratory of Applied Bioacoustics (LAB), and other institutional representatives.

The event provided an opportunity to highlight the objectives and scalability of the project, and the importance of ocean conservation with the acoustic exhibition Immerse yourself in the Sound, which will be open until 15 January 2023.

Subsequently, the authorities and guests sailed on the high seas in the Corcovado Gulf, to raise the Chilean flag on the first smart buoy of The Blue BOAT Initiative and launch it with broadcasting live signals. Director of the UPC’s LAB Michel André stressed that “the installation of this first buoy has an important symbolic meaning for society in resolving the human-wildlife conflict. It demonstrates our technological capacity to combine economic interests with the conservation of natural habitats. From the UPC, we are proud to contribute to the success of this initiative promoted by MERI Foundation and the Chilean Ministry of the Environment, whose projection and international impact throughout the American continent will deepen the knowledge of the challenges facing the Pacific Ocean nowadays.”

Avoiding collisions and reducing acoustic impact
Each blue whale captures an average of 33 tons of carbon throughout its life. This so-called “marine ecosystem service” reduces the presence in the atmosphere of one of the main gases that cause climate change. However, these key species to face the climate crisis, being an umbrella species, live in constant threat from human activity, in particular, maritime traffic.

The Blue BOAT Initiative aims to install and connect the first whale presence early warning system in South America with smart buoys capable of alerting vessels in real time of the presence of these cetaceans. The main purpose of the project is to monitor human activity in the oceans to avoid possible collisions and other negative impacts of maritime traffic, to conduct oceanographic studies to assess the health of the oceans and to value the marine ecosystem services associated with whales in the context of climate change.

Currently, 90% of the world’s merchandise is transported by oceans. These boats are getting bigger and faster, increasing the threat to the whales. Scientific evidence suggests the importance of moving forward towards maritime regulation that allows to put an end to collisions between ships and whales and to reduce the noise that ships generate.

The acoustic impact of human activity on marine ecosystems can cause disorientation, impairment of basic communication between different species—directly affecting their feeding or reproduction—and also hearing damage, stranding or even death.

The Blue BOAT Initiative was presented at the 2022 United Nations Oceans Conference (UN Ocean Lisboa). It was also presented as one of the concrete solutions of the 2022-2023 Country Commitment for the protection of the oceans at the 2022 Our Ocean Palau conference.

LIDO, cutting-edge technology
The Blue BOAT Initiative is a project with artificial intelligence technology. It will install a system in Chile, not only to monitor the presence of whales, but also to listen to the oceans with a technology that can be replicated in a variety of other ecosystems and industries.

These smart buoys are equipped with hydrophones, oceanographic sensors and transmitters with Listen to the Deep Ocean (LIDO) technology, developed by the team led by researcher Michel André, an expert in bioacoustics recognised by the 2002 Rolex Award for his technological advances to monitor noise pollution in marine and terrestrial ecosystems. André is the director of the UPC’s LAB, founder and president of The Sense of Silence Foundation (TSOF) and founder of the company SONSETC Making Sense of Sounds.

LIDO technology will make it possible to develop real-time acoustic mapping of the marine habitat and its biodiversity, and to monitor, over time, the effects of human activities on natural ecosystems.

The signals emitted by the smart buoy in the Corcovado Gulf will be received online by the Chilean Navy, which will be the institution in charge of alerting vessels of the presence of whales to divert from the route or reduce the speed.

The buoy will also have sensors for temperature, pH, salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll (through a fluorimeter) and dissolved oxygen, to record variations in the ocean. The data will be used to prepare oceanographic studies with indicators of the impact of climate change on marine biodiversity.