Underwater robot deployed to aid endangered right whales off Georgia coast

With spring well underway, the North Atlantic right whales that migrated to Georgia to give birth here over the winter have migrated back north to their feeding grounds off New England and Canada. Researchers know from aerial surveys that at least 16 calves were born in the 2022-23 season.

But scientists don’t just look for whales, they listen for them, too. And this year they added an underwater robot to the listening platforms in Georgia.

In late January, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography scientist Catherine Edwards deployed a torpedo-shaped glider called Argus to eavesdrop on these endangered whales as they swam near the port of Savannah. Edwards paired up with University of South Carolina researcher Erin Meyer-Gutbrod, who led the team that listened to the recordings in near real-time.