A new iPhone app is making waves in the commercial shipping world by providing an early warning system that aims to reduce maritime collisions with endangered whales.
The Whale Alert App was launched at the start of April produces up to the minute data regarding sightings of right whales near busy shipping lanes off the north east coast of America.
The programme is a collaborate effort between 13 different organizations including the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.
See also: How Flickr can help save the whales
Although there are only a handful of incidents between ships and the giant mammals each year, any collision that leads to a right whale fatality can have a major impact on the species status due to its severely depleted numbers.
"The right whale is one of the most endangered large animals on the planet, there are only between 350 to 550 of them left" says David Wiley of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary.
"If a ship strikes a reproductive female then the mortality impact could be very large in terms of what it means for the overall population," adds Wiley.
The Whale Alert App works by collating up to the minute reports from all the organizations involved in tracking or researching right whales in the United States.
This information is then used to pinpoint right whales straying within a five kilometre radius of major shipping lanes.
Ship captains with access to the free app via their iPhone or iPad can then reduce their speed, change course or increase their vigilance so as to avoid a potential collision.
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