Acoustic technology set to transform India's marine mammal research

Kochi Nov 6 (IANS) Monitoring whales, dolphins, and other marine mammals through sound-based systems could mark a major leap in India’s ocean research and conservation efforts.

Experts on Thursday at a special session on marine mammal research, held alongside the fourth International Symposium on Marine Ecosystems (MECOS 4) at ICAR-Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI), underscored the potential of Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) to revolutionise marine science in India.

Sound travels much faster and farther underwater than light, making acoustic technology an efficient tool for detecting and studying marine life even in deep or murky waters.

Unlike conventional visual surveys that depend on clear weather and daylight, PAM enables continuous, round-the-clock monitoring across vast ocean expanses.

"Various systems such as bottom-mounted moorings, surface and drifting buoys, towed arrays, and acoustic tags attached to individual animals can record the sounds produced by marine mammals,” explained Dr. Divya Panicker of Ashoka University.

“By analysing these sound patterns, researchers can identify species, estimate their abundance, and even map migration routes and behavioural trends.”

She added that integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) tools could further refine species identification and improve data accuracy.

With India’s long coastline and rich marine biodiversity, experts stressed that developing indigenous acoustic systems could become a game-changer for marine conservation.

The session also called for a National Plan of Action for Marine Mammal Conservation to tackle multiple threats -- including habitat loss, underwater noise, pollution, vessel strikes, and fishing net entanglement -- that are driving population declines among whales, dolphins, and dugongs.

Notably, CMFRI’s recent research on marine mammals has already supported India in addressing a key regulatory challenge in seafood exports to the United States, highlighting the broader policy relevance of such scientific advances.

Dr. A. Bijukumar, Vice-Chancellor of Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS), urged the creation of a national multi-institutional marine mammal network to coordinate research and conservation activities.

CMFRI Director Dr. Grinson George emphasised the need for a well-funded, coordinated plan involving research bodies, enforcement agencies, and coastal communities, and called for trained marine scientists to handle stranded animals and conduct autopsies to establish causes of death.

--IANS

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