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Celebrating Science

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution’s Ocean Science Exhibit Center Manager Kathy Patterson and Senior Engineer Don Peters (in baseball caps at center and far right) explain the new Auto Detection Mooring System at the Cambridge Science Festival.  The Festival’s opening day was attended by approximately 8,000 people and is a celebration showcasing organizations that specialize in science, technology, engineering and math.  The mooring system is designed to listen for and help protect endangered North Atlantic right whales in New England waters.  The new listening system allows researchers to detect the location of whales in real time and alert ship operators and coastal resource managers to their presence. With advance warning, ships can be slowed or re-routed to prevent collisions, which is the most common cause of death for the iconic New England whale.

(Photo by Tom Kleindinst, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)