The use of remote sensing in monitoring blue whale habitat features – a literature review

Abstract

Quickly changing environmental factors due to climate change are expected to have devastating consequences on blue whale populations. The use of acoustic and satellite remote sensing permits the monitoring of environmental factors essential to blue whale habitat. Determining areas with established levels of prey abundance, chlorophyll-a concentration, sea surface temperature, and bathymetric features has the potential to identify biological hotspots for blue whales. This thesis is a literature review of the use of acoustic and satellite remote sensing when monitoring blue whale habitat features. With climate change increasingly altering know blue whale habitats, conservation efforts must be made to maintain blue whale population levels.