Innovation That Drives Conservation
At NMMF, innovation expands what’s possible. We are adapting advances from medicine, engineering, and molecular biology into field-ready systems built for the realities of wildlife science: brief surfacings, remote habitats, and species too rare or sensitive for conventional study.
By creating tools that collect vital data with minimal disturbance, we’re helping shift conservation from reactive to proactive and building the foundation for faster, more effective protection.
Why Innovation Matters
Conservation depends on information, yet many species are exceptionally difficult to study in the field. Some inhabit vast or hard-to-reach regions, while others surface only briefly or avoid human presence altogether. As a result, critical health data is often missing, and threats can go undetected until populations are already in decline.
NMMF develops minimally invasive tools that enable researchers to gather data while reducing impact to animals. Earlier insight means earlier action, and earlier action improves the odds of recovery.
Did you know?
According to the IUCN Red List, about 10% of all whale, dolphin and porpoise species are listed as “Data Deficient,” meaning we still don’t have enough information to know whether they are stable or at risk of extinction. Innovation helps fill these gaps before species disappear unnoticed.
Tools We Use in Health and Medicine
Every tool NMMF develops is designed with a single goal: to give conservation teams the information they need with minimal disruption to the animal. From handheld diagnostics to satellite detection, these breakthroughs are giving researchers access to data that was once too difficult or impossible to gather in the wild.
MMPA/ ESA Permit 18786-03
Aquatic Mammal Ultrasound: Imaging Health in Real Time
NMMF helped pioneer the use of medical ultrasound with free-ranging marine mammals. This technology now allows teams to evaluate internal health, pregnancy status, and organ condition in the field, something once only possible in a clinical setting. Pulmonary ultrasound, an approach refined through years of collaborative research, provides rapid, noninvasive imaging of lung health and has become a standard in wildlife response efforts.
Building on these advances, NMMF continues to expand ultrasound applications in conservation medicine, training responders and field veterinarians around the world to integrate these systems into rescue, rehabilitation, and population monitoring programs.
Learn more about how ultrasound connects to reproduction, growth, and health on our Behavior & Health page.
HemoTag: A Breakthrough in Remote Health Monitoring
Blood samples provide critical insights into health and well-being, but collecting them from large, free-swimming species has long been challenging or impossible. To close this gap, NMMF is developing the HemoTag, a minimally invasive tool adapted from a medical device used in human healthcare.
Engineered to collect capillary blood via gentle suction during brief surface contacts, the HemoTag would enable health monitoring without restraint or capture. Prototype testing has already demonstrated promising results in dolphins, with future iterations designed to work entirely remotely.
By making blood sampling more accessible, HemoTag could transform how scientists monitor the health of rare and endangered species in the wild.
See how blood samples help reveal stress, disease, and reproduction on our Behavior & Health page.
Omacha Foundation
Lahille’s dolphin
Epigenetic Age Estimation
Until recently, age estimation in dolphins and whales could only be determined by tooth analysis, a process that can be invasive and often unreliable for older animals. NMMF scientists are advancing a minimally invasive alternative based on epigenetics, the study of predictable changes in DNA as animals age.
A small skin sample can now reveal an animal’s chronological age with remarkable accuracy. This breakthrough provides a foundation for understanding population structure and longevity, especially for rare or inaccessible species.
Working with partners in Brazil, NMMF validated this technique with Lahille’s bottlenose dolphins, creating one of the first field-ready epigenetic aging models for a wild marine mammal population. These findings are now informing broader applications for conservation medicine worldwide.
Want to learn more? Explore our Behavior & Health page to understand what these age estimates tell us about population health or read the publication here.
Technology and Community to Protect the Vaquita Porpoise
The vaquita porpoise, found only in Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California, is the world’s most endangered marine mammal. Through Operation Esperanza, NMMF and international partners began developing and testing new monitoring tools while working with local communities to build conservation capacity. The project established a foundation for future innovation and collaboration to protect this critically endangered species.
AI-Enabled Drone Health Monitoring
NMMF and collaborators advanced SEA HAWC (System for Expert Aerial Health Assessments of Wild Cetaceans), an AI-powered drone platform under development to capture images of animals at the surface.The system is intended to support individual identification and assess body condition, skin health, pregnancy status, and surfacing behavior, while minimizing disturbance. Future phases will focus on refining AI capabilities and integrating SEA HAWC with other monitoring tools to enable faster, more precise data collection.
Acoustic Monitoring
NMMF and collaborators enhanced real-time acoustic monitoring, which detects marine mammals by listening for the sounds they make underwater, such as echolocation clicks and vocalizations. While monitoring has long been underway in the Upper Gulf of California, new buoy-based systems are being designed to better locate and track vaquitas. These next-generation tools will deliver real-time detections that enhance protection for both species and habitats.
Vaquita Acoustic Monitoring Buoy in the Sea of Cortez | Pronatura Noroeste
“Pepe Campoy” panga used to take the opportunistic Vaquita eDNA samples with the support of Todd Pusser (observer) | Paula Mosa (Sea Shepherd)
Environmental DNA (eDNA)
Environmental DNA analysis detects genetic material left behind by animals in seawater, such as skin cells or waste. For a species as rare and elusive as the vaquita, this method can confirm presence without a visual sighting. During Operation Esperanza, water samples were collected from key areas in the Upper Gulf of California. They will be analyzed to help map where vaquitas live, both inside and outside protected areas, guiding future research and recovery planning.
Community Partnerships
Technology alone is not enough to save the vaquita. A central part of Operation Esperanza is bringing together scientists, conservation teams, local fishers, and community members to share knowledge and build new skills. Training sessions introduced drone operations and environmental sampling techniques, while collaborative efforts supported the development of sustainable fishing practices that reduce bycatch and support local livelihoods. These partnerships continue to show how community leadership drives lasting conservation success
Marine Mammal Population Monitoring
The innovations developed for vaquita protection are part of a broader effort to modernize how marine mammal populations are monitored worldwide. Many species live in places that are too remote, too vast, or where sightings are too brief for traditional surveys to keep up. NMMF is advancing technologies that make it possible to understand not only where animals are, but also how they’re doing over time.
Satellite Imagery + AI
NMMF is exploring the use of high-resolution satellite imagery to detect dolphins from space. While whales have been observed from orbit, dolphins present a greater challenge due to their smaller size and quick movements. Training AI to recognize individuals or groups from satellite data could make it possible to monitor populations across large and hard-to-reach areas that are inaccessible to boats or aircraft.
Photo-ID Tracking App
finFindR, an AI-powered photo-identification tool developed by NMMF and partners, replaces hours of manual dolphin dorsal fin matching with near-instant recognition. By linking a single dorsal fin photo to decades of sighting records, researchers can track reproduction, social behavior, and survival with accuracy and speed that were previously impossible.
Southern Resident Killer Whale Health Database
To support monitoring of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales, NMMF helped develop the first medical-style health database for a wild cetacean population. It compiles long-term data on nutrition, disease, reproduction, and injuries into a shared platform, improving coordination among researchers and enabling earlier detection of health and environmental threats.
What Monitoring Makes Possible
These tools do more than locate animals. They reveal whether a population is stable, declining, or beginning to recover, insight that helps conservation teams act early enough to make a measurable difference.
Driving Change Through Innovation
Each new technology we develop advances conservation. From handheld diagnostics to satellite-based monitoring, these tools are expanding what can be learned from animals in their natural environments.
With continued support, we can turn these breakthroughs into lasting change, enabling scientists and communities worldwide to detect threats sooner, protect species more effectively, and ensure a healthier future for marine life.
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