They’re the biggest — and some of the most essential — creatures in the Caribbean ecosystem: whales, including the humpbacks, sperm whales and pilot whales that frequent the region’s waters. 

Many whales migrate annually to mate and give birth, while playing an important role in the ecosystem — from facilitating nutrient cycling to supporting the growth of phytoplankton through their waste. 

But, as with many marine creatures worldwide, whales are facing challenges, from ocean plastic to noise pollution to climate change. And with so much still unknown about their movements, status and interactions in the region, conservation is that much more difficult. 

That’s why a new initiative based in Antigua and Barbuda is looking to deepen our understanding of whales in the Caribbean. 

The new project, the brainchild of the Elkhorn Marine Conservancy in Antigua, will deploy a “hydrophone,” which is an underwater sound recorder, that will record whale sounds — giving us an idea of both the abundance of local species and the timing of their movements. 

The idea is to then funnel that data into AI to “distinguish between species’ sounds and and analyze their interactions with human activities, such as boat traffic.”

The hope is that this data will help direct future conservation strategies, “ensuring that the Caribbean Sea remains a thriving environment for these vital species” while benefiting the local communities.