Millions of marine animals get caught in nets every year.
What if technology could prevent this? This is the project of Stéphanie Brodie, a researcher at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization in Brisbane, Australia. Researchers could predict 1 year in advance when marine life would become entangled in the nets.
This innovative approach is based on a computer model that uses sea surface temperatures to predict when whales and turtles are likely to become entangled in fishing gear. This would provide reliable ecological forecasts for adapting fishing measures.
For example, turtles tend to follow warmer waters, so if the waters in an area warm up, the fishery may have to close.
A study with conclusive results: the researchers demonstrated the accuracy of this method by successfully anticipating the movements of whales and turtles up to 11.5 months in advance in specific areas!
A significant step towards harmonious coexistence between humans and oceans.
