It’s often said we know more about what’s happening in space than the deep blue sea. But what if one holds the key to the other? 

So much of the ocean is yet to be explored. It’s probably why we’re so fascinated with programmes like Blue Planet. We all want a rare glimpse of the phenomena that live underwater.  

But understanding the ocean is more than just curiosity. It’s essential for our survival.  

The ocean supplies half of the oxygen produced on the planet. Literally every other breath we take is dependent on having a healthy ocean. And a healthy ocean wouldn’t be possible without whales. 

“Whales play a huge role in helping the ocean absorb carbon and mitigate the threat of climate and ecological breakdown,” says Chris Butler-Stroud, CEO of Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), one of Deloitte’s charity partners.  

In case you didn’t already know, nutrient-rich whale poo is the key ingredient. It fertilises phytoplankton that produces 50 per cent of the world’s oxygen and absorbs 30 per cent of human-generated carbon in the process. 

“WDC has been campaigning to save the whales for decades,” continues Chris. “What few people realised until recently was just how much we need whales to save us.” 

Thankfully, we’ve all come a long way from the days of widespread commercial whale hunting. But global warming, pollution and human activity at sea means whales are still endangered.

A big part of WDC’s work is safeguarding marine mammals, using data to help inform governments on what areas should become Marine Protected Areas.

To do this, they need to understand whales’ habits better: what they’re eating, what routes they take when migrating and how their numbers are fluctuating.

As you’d expect, tracking whales and exploring life under the ocean can be expensive and difficult. And a major challenge researchers face is gathering data quickly enough to prevent further damage to whales with the urgency that’s needed.

But as space-tech becomes more sophisticated, help has come from a somewhat unlikely place. Satellites in the sky are broadening the horizons for marine research.

“WDC is one of Deloitte’s charity partners, who participated in the Gravity Challenge - our open innovation space-tech programme,” explains Deloitte’s Gravity Challenge UK delivery lead, Mollie Martin.

Through the challenge, we find and connect experts who can help each other and, in this case, the planet too. Organisations pose challenges that space-tech might just be able to solve and we match them with the right advanced space-tech experts for their specific challenge.

“To help policy makers, researchers and others learn more about protecting whales, WDC wanted to research and understand the abundance of marine mammals more efficiently,” Mollie continues. “And to explore uses of remote-sensing technology in areas where it’s difficult to do manual observations.”

Making the connection between WDC and independent research and consulting company BioConsult SH, who had developed the SPACEWHALE service, has transformed WDC’s work.

“As a result of the project, we can now use VHR satellite imagery, and the latest AI tools, to detect whales across the seas,” continues Chris.

“We’ve been blown away by Deloitte’s passion and commitment for our work. Having them onboard brings skills and knowledge that’s scaling up our ambitions for protecting whales and dolphins around the world.”