The Hudson Canyon is an incredible habitat that hosts a number of whale and dolphin species including the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale, endangered fin, sei, and sperm whales, humpback whales, and minke whales. The mouth to the Hudson Canyon lies about 100 miles southeast of New York City, and the Wildlife Conservation Society has been leading efforts to designate the area as a National Marine Sanctuary.
In support of these efforts and to learn more about the marine species found in this under-researched area, WCS’s New York Bight Ocean Giants team is conducting a two-year acoustic monitoring project in and around Hudson Canyon to better understand the marine life and underwater soundscape of this important offshore ecosystem. Four bottom-mounted acoustic recording systems will collect long-term data from approximately August 2026 through August 2028. The project will monitor the presence and seasonal patterns of whales, dolphins, and acoustically active fish species, help characterize marine species diversity in the area, and establish baseline information on ambient noise and the broader Hudson Canyon soundscape.
Research Equipment and Deployment Locations
All equipment is fully submerged, with no surface buoy or other surface expression. The recorders sit approximately 6 feet above the seafloor and more than 130 feet below the ocean surface and will be serviced every 4–5 months. Deployment locations were selected using publicly available information on fishing activity, along with consultation with NOAA Sanctuaries, to help minimize the potential for interactions with fishing gear. WCS is sharing the locations with fishing operators and other mariners working in the area to increase awareness and further reduce the risk of gear interactions.
A map of the Hudson Canyon passive acoustic monitoring sites represented by the pink triangles and the depth contours of the continental shelf around the Hudson Canyon are shown by the blue lines. Depths are shown as negative values in meters.
Table with the GPS coordinates of each recording location
Site
Latitude (DMS)
Longitude (DMS)
A
39° 44' 52.02" N
072° 25' 6.72" W
B
39° 37' 26.33" N
072° 28' 26.67" W
C
39° 36' 47.57" N
072° 17' 9.68" W
D
39° 28' 44.31" N
072° 32' 56.1" W
Photo of the acoustic release rope canister (ARC) used as part of the leave-no-trace mooring design. The canisters have two - three 11” hard floats attached at the corners
Photo of the acoustic recorder. The recorders are attached to the rope using zip-ties and duck tape. One end of the rope connects to the rope canister shown above and the other connects to a small 8” hard float (sub-surface float).
Photo of the equipment floating at the surface after being released from the anchor system. Only the floats attached to the ARC are visible at the surface.
Questions or Concerns?
Please contact us using the form linked below with any questions or concerns about the project or deployment locations, or if you encounter gear near the Hudson Canyon area that you believe may belong to WCS.
Contact Form