Ocean Conservation Efforts

A whale protection program, aimed at preventing vessel strikes on critically endangered North Atlantic right whales, is being advanced through a collaboration between SAS and Fathom Science Inc., a tech spin-off from North Carolina State University. As such, SAS is "supporting the validation of Fathom’s whale location prediction model, enhancing maritime safety through data-driven conservation."

At the center of this effort is 'WhaleCast,' a "predictive heatmap tool developed by Taylor Shropshire, Head of Marine Resiliency at Fathom." WhaleCast combines historical whale sighting data with real-time ocean modeling to forecast the likelihood of whale activity along the East Coast.

Designed for integration with vessel touchscreen systems, WhaleCast helps mariners visualize potential whale zones and adjust course or speed accordingly. By contributing analytics expertise, SAS is helping bring greater accuracy to conservation technology and promoting responsible ocean stewardship through advanced, real-time marine intelligence.

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