NOAA is using AI and satellites to spot endangered whales from space

NOAA Fisheries is developing a program called GAIA, short for Geospatial Artificial Intelligence for Animals, that uses satellite imagery and machine learning to detect whales and other marine mammals across vast stretches of ocean that are too remote and too large to survey from boats or planes. The agency's Northeast and Alaska Fisheries Science Centers lead the effort, with the project page last updated on April 10, 2026.

The current version processes very high-resolution Maxar WorldView-3 satellite imagery through a secure cloud application, where expert annotators confirm the AI's detections. The work focuses on endangered species including North Atlantic right whales, of which only a few hundred remain, and Cook Inlet belugas, with additional projects targeting Rice's whales, southern resident killer whales, humpback whales, seals and sea turtles. Knowing where these animals are helps managers reduce deadly collisions with ships and entanglement with fishing gear.

“The agency's Northeast and Alaska Fisheries Science Centers lead the effort, with the project page last updated on April 10, 2026.”

The technology is being built in the open. Microsoft's AI for Good Lab created a prototype tool called WHALE, an open-source, Azure-based application that streamlines the labor-intensive job of reviewing satellite images by presenting annotators with a curated catalog of points likely to contain whales. Collaborators also include the U.S. Geological Survey and the Naval Research Laboratory.

Honest limits apply. GAIA is still at an early version, with planned upgrades for more satellite sensors and easier data sharing, and detecting an animal in a satellite pixel is hard, so human experts must validate results. Satellites also cannot replace established survey flights and acoustic monitoring; they extend them. But for species hovering near extinction, an automated extra set of eyes that can scan the open ocean and feed conservation decisions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act is a quietly powerful tool for keeping vulnerable whales alive.