New England Aquarium senior scientist Moira Brown says they’re trying to get the word out about a free mobile app called Whale Alert throughout Eastern Canada.
The app helps people on the water can report sightings of right whales which are critically endangered with an estimated 522 alive.
“So this is a great way for the public to join a big citizen scientist campaign and help us locate more areas where right whales and other species might be found,” says Brown.
She says it was released back in 2012 as an information hub for sailors to get information on measures to reduce ship strikes to right whales but has since been revised to be interactive.
“If an animal that you see happens to be in distress in any way, entangled or injured, right on the app you can get the hotline to call into to get someone to come help that animal,” says Brown.
She says it can help researchers because it engages large portions of the population to increase the amount of information available.
“And we learn other areas that potentially we should maybe go and survey to find out are these animals just migrating or is there a food supply there that may anchor those animals for a period of time,” says Brown.
Whale Alert works on both Apple and Android devices.
For more information about the app click HERE
