Mapping the Ocean Soundscape: How Sofar Ocean's Technology is Advancing Real-Time Humpback Whale Protection

Sofar Ocean is emerging as a central innovator in the blue economy, delivering scalable, cost-efficient tools that are reshaping how marine environments are monitored. Central to its impact is the adaptable Spotter System– compact, easily deployed buoys equipped with modular sensors capable of transmitting continuous environmental and acoustic data in real time.

Among the platform’s most significant advancements is the Spotter Sound solution, which incorporates ultra-low-power hydrophones engineered by AOS with omnidirectional listening capabilities for both biological and industrial acoustic data collection. Combined with onboard AI that can identify vessels, marine mammals, and other acoustic events directly on the device, Spotter Sound delivers high-resolution acoustic monitoring at a fraction of the cost of traditional systems.

This technology is particularly critical for protecting humpback whales, a species dependent on sound for navigation, social communication, and feeding. Increasing commercial shipping has intensified underwater noise worldwide, and as vessels grow in size and number, low-frequency noise now permeates coastal soundscapes at high levels. These frequencies directly overlap with those humpbacks use, masking essential signals and disrupting the finely tuned acoustic environment they depend on. As ocean noise rises, whales face greater difficulty detecting approaching ships– an escalating concern in regions experiencing rapid growth in maritime traffic.

The consequences are evident in areas like San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and surrounding waters, where sound heightens collision risk and can force whales to abandon feeding grounds, alter migratory pathways, or reduce communication range, putting long-term population health at risk. To better understand and mitigate these hazards, nonprofit Bayquest has integrated Sofar’s acoustic technology into its Sea Sounds Project, an initiative monitoring humpback whale behavior in the region’s heavily trafficked waterways. Using Spotter Sound units, Bayquest collects 30-minute underwater recordings paired with visual wildlife surveys and environmental measurements such as sea state, wind, salinity, temperature, and pH. This integrated dataset allows researchers to analyze how whales adjust their vocalizations, movement patterns, and surface behavior in response to vessel noise.

Beyond acoustic monitoring, the broader Spotter ecosystem provides a comprehensive infrastructure for ocean intelligence. With flexible hardware, plug-and-play sensors, and remotely deployable AI models, the platform supports applications ranging from marine mammal detection to construction compliance. As networks of these sensors expand, they lay the foundation for a continuous acoustic “superhighway” along the West Coast: a distributed hydrophone network capable of tracking whale presence and migration in real time. Such a system would empower scientists, policymakers, and maritime operators with actionable insights to reduce vessel strikes, lessen acoustic disturbance, and strengthen long-term marine protection.

Through scalable technology and forward-looking design, Sofar is helping shape a more informed and resilient blue economy, one in which real-time ocean intelligence directly supports the preservation of marine ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

Webinar: How real-time acousitc monitoring is transforming marine mammal protection