GREMM | Large Rorqual Project

Fin whales, blue whales, and humpback whales: these marathon migrants return to the St. Lawrence every summer to feed. Many of them travel up the estuary and remain at the head of the Laurentian Channel, which lies within the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.

While humpbacks have largely recovered from whaling, blue whales and fin whales are still considered species at risk. Like all of us, these giants face the upheavals of a changing climate.

Our goal : To better understand the patterns of large rorquals

Studying large rorqual behaviour and movement patterns is essential for supporting efforts aimed at better co-existing with the fishing community, the merchant marine, and the whale-watching industry.

The Large Rorqual Project is being carried out with researchers from Canadian universities and NGOs in close collaboration with the Maurice Lamontagne Institute of Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park (Parks Canada).

logo Projet Grands Rorquals

Research programs Affiliated projects

In collaboration with:

Dr Cristiane Albuquerque,
Parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent, Parcs Canada

Samuel Turgeon,
Parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent, Parcs Canada

Everything on their comings and goings

Photos that speak volumes. Photo-identification is the foundation of our work with these giants. Our photo collections allow us to piece together the stories of individual rorquals. We can thus trace their movements, study their affinities, and analyze their patterns. By combining the results of our systematic surveys with prey monitoring carried out by the Marine Park team, we seek to better understand what attracts and keeps large rorquals in the area.

In collaboration with:

Dr Cristiane Albuquerque,
Parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent, Parcs Canada

Samuel Turgeon,
Parc marin du Saguenay—Saint-Laurent, Parcs Canada

In collaboration with:

Dr Stéphane Lair, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire,
Université de Montréal

How are they faring?

By combining the analysis of images captured by lightweight drones with photo-ID surveys of large rorquals, we have added a new dimension to our long-term monitoring. In addition to providing information on the physical condition of the animals detected, we are able to document signs of human interactions such as collisions and entanglements and how they evolve over time. These new data will help researchers better understand the impact of human activities and assess the effectiveness of conservation measures aimed at better sharing the St. Lawrence River with these giants.

In collaboration with:

Dr Stéphane Lair, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire,
Université de Montréal

Affiliated Project

3MTSIM

A project of:

Dr Clément Chion, Université du Québec en Outaouais

In collaboration with:
Dr Jérôme Dupras, Université du Québec en Outaouais
Dr Tyler Bonnell, University of Calgary
Dr Véronique Lesage, Institut Maurice Lamontagne,
Pêches et Océans Canada
Samuel Turgeon, Parcs Canada

A whale SIM!

3MTSim is a marine traffic and marine mammal simulator for the St. Lawrence Estuary and the Saguenay River. It draws on a range of scientific expertise, including biology, underwater acoustics, artificial intelligence, economics, and environmental governance. The simulator has been “fed” with almost all the knowledge and data collected by the GREMM. It is a powerful tool for collaboration and decision-making support to help mitigate the impacts of shipping on whales in the St. Lawrence. It has already contributed to several conservation initiatives, including slowdown zones for ships transiting the Saguenay–St. Lawrence Marine Park.